The Ghost King
by aspentree11
Summary: She found him in a tree. Most people disreguarded him, as if they were afraid, but she wasn't afraid. If anything, she wanted to know him. She wanted to love him, to cherish him, but he wouldn't let her. And one day, when he disappears, she knew it was her job to find him.
1. Chapter 1

The Ghost King's Tree

Her hand touched his, and immediately his fingers tensed. She expected him to, as usual, rip away, but his fingers stayed there, slowly curling into her's cautiously. Her breath almost catched when he did so, but she stayed calm. She was quiet as he touched her, his fingers raveling against her's as if she was made of glass, while her fingers were gripping onto him as if she was trying to catch fire.

"I swear Nico," She whispered gently, as she pulled the small strand out of his face, "I swear, you could look twenty-five years old right now, and yet you would never know. You're ageless." If it was any other guy, she would never say that to him, but the aura around Nico seemed so calm, so accepting. She never felt alone when she was around him. She felt safe. And even though Nico didn't share any words, she knew his feelings were the same way. He didn't look up at her, as if his book was more important, but she saw how his jaw tensed when she said it.

"Nico, can I ask a question?" She said. A small, quirky smile appeared on his overly-red lips. She took that as a yes.

"Wh—Why don't you ever look at me?" That did it. His finger's ripped away, shoved into his pocket again, far from her reach as if it was a weapon.

"Nico," Connie hissed desperately, "It's like you don't want me—"

"Connie," He snapped instantly, but his tone didn't frighten her.

"No," She said firmly, "It's like…It's like you don't want me to see you." His gaze turned away, toward a small courtyard under them. There were probably a million words he would like to share, but he didn't. He never did.

"I want to see you, Nico," She said, a hand on his turned stubbed chin, "I want to know you see me." He was quiet at first, letting his dark lashes lock closed, and took an even breath.

"I do see you," He whispered under his breath coolly, "I see you all the time Connie. But haven't you ever noticed that_ nobody_ ever looks at me? I go down the street and…Everybody treats me like I'm a ghost. You are the only person that looks at me Connie. You're the only person who has ever tried to look at me. Doesn't that give a hint that maybe — Just maybe — I'm not as good as a person as you think I am? That maybe nobody is looking at me for a reason?" Connie's voice had disappeared. She had never heard Nico say that many words at one time. She gaped for a moment, not knowing what to say, but her words caught up with her just in time.

"Nico, you are a mystery to me. I don't know where you live, or what school you go to, or why you are in this tree everyday, heck! Who knows, maybe Nico is a fake name! But…I've never felt lonely around you. Everyday of my life I've felt lonely, like I don't belong, until I saw you in this tree. Now, I feel whole. You do not scare me Nico. I'm not sure why nobody looks at you, but I think it's because you're absolutely beautiful." The words slipped out of her mouth like silk, and suddenly Nico's head turned toward her. At first, she thought he was finally going to look into her eyes, rather then off at a distance or at the bark under him like usual, but then he leaned close to her.

"Connie, do you—are you okay with me touching you?" His voice stumbled. She wanted to laugh at that. Wasn't that just what she was doing? _Touching him?_ But by the sound of Nico's voice, he clearly saw a difference. It was more than ever at that moment though that she wished Nico would finally lock eyes with her.

"Of course," She whispered. She was expecting for his hand, but then suddenly, out of know where, something soft hit her lips. It nearly knocked her out of the tree, but she felt his hand at her back, and she reminded herself that she was safe. Without hesitating, her lips kissed back at him slowly, and every time their lips touched it felt like water and fire hitting each other repeatedly, as if it was more than just some kiss. As if there was something more to Nico then she really did know.

When Nico locked away though, she could feel that he regretted it. That he must've been cursing himself inside. But she wasn't going away, he needed to know that. She would never go away. She would never leave him.

AN:Alright, I know it sounds like one-shot, but it isn't:P Just...Follow along.


	2. A New Friend

**The Meeting of the Ghost King**

_Constance Margaret Jennings was the perfect age - Sixteen. She was the daughter of a wealthy man, and lived in a high-class apartment in New York. She was a stunning girl with black hair and grey eyes. She had two best friends, one blonde and the other brunette, that made the ideal pack. She didn't do any sports, yet she was a star at her school. She sat at a big table at lunch. She was the smartest kid in her year, and everybody was proud of it. She woke up every morning at seven o'clock and went to bed at eleven fifteen. Many boys desired her, and she was about to date the all star football player, Jace Rodgers. _

_In other words, people were blind. _

_Constance Margaret Jennings hated her age. In two years, she would be out of there, but in two years she would also be in the two highest stressed years in high school. She was one of the six daughters of a wealthy man, who had three mistresses. She lived in a high-class apartment in New York that her dad was going to lose in about three months. She had acne, no boobs, and a stomach that stopped her from wearing a two-piece. Her best friends were backstabbing, two-faced ballet prodigies who she only walked with so she didn't have to talk. She didn't do any sports, because she was embarrassed by her own body sweat. She sat at a large lunch table so she could read without anybody noticing her. She was the smartest kid in her year, only because she wanted her mom to finally be proud of her (but never would). She woke up every morning at seven o'clock and fell asleep at two in the morning. And, she was in love with a homeless boy who slept in a tree. _

_Yes, people were really blind. _

_But her story didn't start with any of that. Her story started with a boy. A boy who was rude and weird and funny and broken. A boy who she met in a large oak tree that overlooked the courtyard in Manhattan Park. A boy who saved her life._

_ It was January Ninth, and it begun. _

Her feet slushed in the black ice lazily as she crossed the street between Manhattan Private and the average street in front of her. It was Tuesday – A horrible day of the week. The ice was slowly starting to melt, and it was only her who was walking home. Most people, snobs who were afraid of getting their 'new three hundred dollar coach boots' dirty, took the bus or got their parent's butler to pick them up. But her? She wasn't afraid of a little slush on her boots.

She crossed the road of course, safely, but just as she was about to turn she felt something yank her by her forearm. She was swished around sharply with a gasp, and fell forward with a crunch. She looked up, horror staining her eyes, expecting somebody threatening, but all that was in front of her was Jace Rodgers.

Jace Rodgers.

She tried her hardest not to sigh. She heard of the guy – And how he had a crush on her – But she never was truly into him. He was good looking – Dashing hair, deep brown eyes, a tan skin tone, but something about him always turned her off and she didn't exactly know why. Maybe it was because he was cocky or selfish or a player. But something always told her to say no.

"Hi Jace," She said shortly, rubbing her sore arm, "Aren't you getting picked up?" He was smiling at her.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to grab you," He told her, not very sorry, "And no, I'm not getting picked up. I know – Sucks. I really didn't want to get these five hundred dollar red sneakers brown yet. You know, me and my traveling football team …" That was how everything started at that school. _Me and my five hundred dollar shoes. _

"Er, look I really got to go," She interrupted, "Sorry!" She swerved around quickly, but just as she was about to take a step, she felt her arm being wrenched back again. Her breath sucked in instantly. She spun over toward him, chills going down her spine. This time, his arm didn't let go.

"Can I walk you home?" He asked quickly. Her mouth went dry. A horrible new feeling filled her. A feeling she never thought would happen.

"Ah, see, I'm not really going home. I'm…" Her brain raced quickly, her grey eyes flickering to his hand"…Picking up my sisters." His smile didn't falter.

"I can come with you," He offered. His arm around her tightened, making tears of pain fill her eyes. Nobody would notice, she realized to herself, except her. She was the only one who could see the dark intentions in his eyes. They were stern, dominating. But she didn't look away. She remembered that once – When a guy was trying to hurt you, don't look away from his eyes until you get away.

"Uh—I-" _Crap _ "You don't want to do that."

"No, truly, I want to." Suddenly, she ripped her arm away from him jerkily and gave him a harsh stare.

"No, you don't," She said sharply, "It's a long walk."

"Let me walk with you," He said coolly. She was going to just walk anyway, but he took a step right in front of her. Her breath stopped. His eyes were flashing at her, and suddenly she felt vulnerable. Scared. She had to do something…She had to get away…

"F—Fine," She said with a tremble, "Come on then." She started to walk stiffly, with him at her side. She looked at him skeptically, her brain racking for a solution. He was staring at her.

"Where do your sisters go?" He asked. She glanced around him, at the blank wondering people. None of them were paying attention to her…She needed to get somebody attention…This boy. He was harassing her.

"Manhattan Country Day," She spat out quickly, taking shakey breaths "But really Jace, it's a long wa-"

"Shouldn't we go this way then?" He stopped in front of an ally. She peered inside it. It was black, dark, deserted. Something powerful was crossed against Jace's face.

"No," She whispered sternly, her arms at her chest "No…I'm not…" She felt herself stumbling back.

"But it's quicker," He said, and he grabbed her arm again, pulling her, "Tru-"

"NO!" She screamed, ripping away from his grasp. Her legs sprinted away from him quickly, hitting around a corner. She glimpsed behind her quickly and there he was – Right in front of him. She could feel the banging of her heartbeat in her ear.

_Oh god, oh god, oh god. _

"HEY!" He screamed at her, making her stumble. Why in the name of god was he chasing her? Her breathing seemed to shorten and she thought she was going to puke.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" She screamed as loud as she dared, but he was still behind her. Determination. For the first time in her life, she wished she didn't live in New York. Or else somebody would've seen that a creep was running behind her, trying to do God-Knows-What to her.

She tried to sprint faster, but then suddenly she realized how close he was to her. She couldn't' feel her own bones.

"He's going to get me," She whispered to herself in a shiver, "And then he's going to rape me." Unless she got home on time, a voice reminded her.

But she wouldn't. Because to get home, she would need to get through traffic. She couldn't stop for a cab, because he was only feet away from her. Her grey eyes flickered back at him, and he was smiling. The creep was smiling. Didn't he give up? Didn't she do everything everybody told her to do? "Scream and run"? Obviously, that logic was completely bogus. Because he was still running. Running right for her, and frankly, she wasn't a good athlete. And he was.

But then, suddenly, she saw what was in front of her. _Manhattan Park. _

There was a thrill inside her – A thrill that made her run faster. She threw herself above the gate, light enough to actually do that. Jace scurried behind her angrily.

"HELP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, "HE'S FOLLOWING ME!" But…Nobody turned around. It was like they were all into their own thing; Reading the newspaper, yelling at their kids, feeding birds. They probably just thought they were two kids playing around. But she, frankly, wasn't smiling. Her eyes eyed the options around her; 1) Fight it out, 2) Keep running, 3) Find somebody. But all three weren't working.

And then she saw the tree. The wide, ancient, willow-oak tree that was planted right in front of her. At first, she slowed down, but then she felt the yank of jacket, coming from behind her. She let the jacket slip from her smoothly and started to climb the tree. Branch after branch, she was light enough to hop. She heard Jace under her struggle. She let her eyes to the top. To the very top.

"YOU CAN'T GET ME UP HERE JACE!" She screamed as she got to about twenty feet, "YOU CAN'T-" But then she felt the light twig she was gripping onto, snap.

For two seconds, the whole world stopped. The children playing around her, the birds flying beside her, all the noise in New York City, completely stopped. Her whole body was in air, and she thought about her sisters. Her parents. Her pathetic life. But then, suddenly, she felt something catch hold onto her. With a whiff of air, she was thrown up back onto a branch. She opened her eyes.

There was a boy in front of her, and he was absolutely beautiful. His hair was a shaggy black wave that touched his shoulders just barely, with olive skin that looked gorgeous with the flickers of tree-light shining onto it. He looked like he was homeless – Unnaturally skinny, with ripped clothes and the bags of chips stalked next to him. He was looking below her, but she saw the large black moon irises, and it took her breath away.

But then her breath came right back when she saw Jace in front of her. She staggered down the branch, tugging onto the tree trunk. Was this a nightmare? Was this what it was?

His teeth were clenched.

"What the hell do you think you're doin-" But then the olive-skinned boy took movement, and Jace's arm was in his hands. Her eyes widened. Jace was three times as big, what was this boy thinking? What was he, fourteen, maybe fifteen? He couldn't beat Jace. But still, she saw fear flicker in Jace's eyes, like he was seeing the most horrifying thing that he had ever witnessed.

"Let go of my ha-"

"You're in my tree." And before Jace could say another word, Constance heard a snap. Jace went flying down, between the branches that crunched him, until he hit the ground. Probably not even conscious.

At first, there was a ringing silence.

"You saved my life," She whispered at him. But he didn't look at her, barely acknowledged her. He picked up a tattered book and brought it to his face.

"I—Thank you," She said feebly, "Thank you so much." He ignored her. She was about to start crawling down, but something about him struck her.

"I'm Consta—Connie," She corrected herself quickly; "My name is Connie." He didn't look up. A bad feeling boiled into her stomach.

"What are you doing up here?" She continued to talk, "Do you just hang out here or-"

"It's my tree," He hissed firmly. His voice was hollow, but it felt so strong inside her.

"Oh do you…Live here?" It sounded like a stupid question, but by the objects hanging off the branches, it looked like somebody had been camping up here for weeks.

"It's my tree," He repeated. She nodded.

"Okay," She accepted lightly, "What's your name?" He was quiet.

"What's your name?" She asked .

"Look dude, I'm just asking your na-"

"Nico." She smiled at herself. _Nico. _

**AN: God, I don't have time to even edit this, so you get what you get. I know, it's slow, but I wanted to explain their first meeting. PLEASE REVIEW. I'M BEGGING. I know it's not that good, but hold on, alright? Have faith.**


	3. A Ring or Two

**The Letter**

The beginning of the end of the world didn't begin until Connie decided to cease her existence amongst New York City. Up until then, she woke up telling herself that today was going to be a great sunny day (Well, as possible as it could be saying it was raining like God's revenge, and her mom and dad were going on their fifteenth day not talking, and Nico had just decided that it would be okay to just disappear off the earth for the last three days). But happy day it would be.

Too bad that the unrealistic dream got burned to ground in the first thirty seconds of her day. Great day, right?

She had woken up with the sound of a window slam. She raised her head with an immediate bolt. Of course, she told herself, it was probably a dream, but yet the sound continued to ring in her ears tauntingly. She got up slowly, glancing at the closed window suspiciously, and walked toward her bedroom door.

Her eyes gave an apprehensive glare at the knob. She stared at it, sighed, tried to think of three reasons why she should turn it, couldn't even come up with one, but then rested her fingers on it anyways and turned it with her fingers. It sprung back at her.

_Locked. _

At first, the optimistic voice in her mind told her it was a sign from God and if she didn't go back to bed that exact instant (like this sign was implying) then the zombie apocalypse that she has been predicting since she was three would finally happen and she would be the first person to be eaten. You know, the realistic idea.

Heh, she laughed to herself, if she didn't hear one of her sisters breathing on the outside she may just have gotten herself to believe it.

"HAILEY!" She roared hoarsely, "_God, _could you let me out?" _Because I'm not going to fight for this for too much longer. _

"_What did you say_?" The annoying thirteen year old squeeked, "I couldn't hear you!" Her eyes narrowed at the door.

"Hailey, I'm trying to be nice here…" Connie told her softly, "Open the door. _Now_."

"Constance, I seriously can't hear you." Connie peaked outside the crack and stared at her. The demon was smiling. _Smiling. _

"One," Connie said flatly. She saw Hailey's face shallow down.

"Wait, just give me a minute-"

"I'm telling dad."

"WHAT?" Her sister yelled desperately, "WHAT HAPPENED TO TWO?"

"_Two_."

"Constance-"

"Open the door, Hailey."

"Just hold on for three seconds-"

"DA-" Connie's voice was only half way through the word when Hailey slammed open the door and cuffed her mouth.

There was a heavy silence where both of them stared at each other wildly. Hailey's baby blue eyes stared into Connie's, and Connie glared at her suspiciously. Something was shining in Hailey's eyes that threw Connie off balance. Despite Hailey's radical attempts to conceal her, Hailey didn't stop Connie from removing her fingers from her mouth.

"What do you think you're doing?" Connie asked slowly, her eyes narrowing at her sister. Her sister was an early bird – She already had her ten pounds of make up on, the special five-hundred-dollar-outfit that Connie clearly mocked with her eyes, the look that showed that Hailey would never be on the same level Connie was. She was everything Connie never would or could be. The perfect blonde hair, the delicious blue eyes, the curvy-vintage body. And Connie wasn't sure she exactly wanted it.

"Jeeze," Hailey said dramatically, recovering from her outbreak quickly "I was just joking. I didn't know you'd take it so serio-"

"It's seven o'clock in the morning Hailey. What are you hiding?" She snapped. Hailey crossed her arms.

"I just wanted to say good morning," Hailey said crossly, "Is that so hard to believe?" Connie didn't hesitate.

"Yes. It is." Their glare continued.

"Fine," Hailey blurted stubbornly. Connie waited for her body to storm out of the way for a dramatic exit, but Hailey stood still. Hailey was trying hard not to look at her, as if there was something she didn't want Connie to notice. But Connie noticed quite quickly.

"Do you mind _moving? My clothes are in the laundry room._" Connie asked sharply. Hailey's eyes flickered to the ground and the back at her.

"Yes, yes I do," Hailey told her coolly. Connie's eyes narrowed at her, and shoved her away from her doorway like a light puppy. Connie headed down the stairs quickly.

"NO! WAIT! CONSTANCE!" Hailey's voice projected as she ran down the stairs to stop her, but Connie ignored her "You don't need to go to the laundry room! Your clothes are in the car?" Connie swerved around abruptly, taking Hailey by surprise.

"Why in the bloody god would you put my school clothes in the _car?"_ Connie asked sharply. Hailey took a step back.

"I—It's just—I had to get a dry-cleaned," She stumbled, "Me and mom got it dry-cleaned yesterday." Connie's eyebrows elevated.

"And you left it in the car?" Connie asked her, "Where it can get wrinkled?" Hailey hesitated.

"I don't know, I forgot to bring it in," Hailey swore to her. Connie took a step closer to her.

"Spit it out, Hailey," Connie hissed at her coolly, "You're digging yourself into a hole." Hailey's face drained.

"It's just—I-" She was done with this. She stomped away from Hailey's grip and headed down the hall. Past the kitchen. Past the living room. And almost passed her dad's office when she heard a light giddy sound. A giddy, unnecessary sound in his office. At first, she didn't recognize it, but then her heart skipped a beat.

Giggling. She heard _giggling _in her dad's office. _Giggling. _Her mother didn't even smile, let alone giggling.

At first, Connie's eyes could only widen, but then anger overthrew her because immediately she knew who it was that was _giggling. _Anger, disappointment, hatred, all three, seemed to pollute her body like drugs. She hated him, she realized harshly, doing this when her mother was only a few stairs away? It disgusted her. What would happen, she wondered, if she opened that door right now? Would they be ashamed for their sins they were committing? Would her dad beg on his knees for forgiveness and spoil her in gifts until she agreed not to tell her mother? Would he even deserve it, or is he such a pitiful creature that he didn't even deserve the shame?

She felt a cold hand interrupt her thoughts. She almost forgot that her sister, who seemed so small to her now, was right beside her. Hailey was shaking her head at her with sad eyes. She must've read her thoughts perfectly.

"It'll just make you feel worse," She whispered feebly. Instantly, tears started to burn at the back of her eyes. She didn't know why – She never liked her dad, he wasn't worth her tears, but the realization came quickly. It was Hailey. She was crying for her. Because Hailey was too young to have to put up with this. She shouldn't know about her dad's affairs. She should be worrying about regular thirteen year old stupid things – boys, evil teachers, back-stabbing friends. Not this. Never this.

And yet, it was like, Hailey was trying to protect her. To make her sleep in just for a few minutes longer, so that she wouldn't have to know about her dad's secret mistress. Her grey eyes connected with Hailey's perfect blue. Only if she knew that Constance has known since forever…But she couldn't let this happen to Hailey. She needed Hailey to forget.

"Go to school," Connie heard herself demand abruptly. Hailey stood there numbly.

"Go on," Connie told her, harshly now, "Go get your bag." Hailey stuttered.

"What about you?" Hailey repeated as she reluctantly got her backpack, "Aren't you…coming?"

"I'll walk you," Connie answered shortly. Connie walked past her, toward the door, but Hailey was frozen.

"But what about your backpack?" Hailey asked feebly. Connie's mouth gaped. How was she to explain this to her?

"You have to go to school too," She whispered. Hailey's voice resembled a girl who has been hurt too much. Like she was five years old reliving her entire past.

"Hailey, come on, it's almost-"

"Constance, you have to go to school. You can't just-" But Connie already made up her mind.

"Don't worry about _me. _Worry about yourself. You have a science test today, don't you?" Connie guessed, "Get out before you get late." But the look Hailey gave her was horrifying. It was like Hailey was looking a million miles away, like she actually needed her.

"You don't need to walk me to school," Hailey answered, her voice coming back, "But Constance?" Connie didn't reply as Hailey opened the door without her and stood at the doormat.

"Don't do anything stupid," Hailey told her shortly, and slammed the door straight in her face. Connie stood there for a moment, completely stricken by the events. It wasn't the four words that shocked her – It was the look. That horrible, vulnerable look that reflected into her once-strong little sister's eyes that nearly killed her. But she knew what she was going to do.

It took her ten minutes to remove herself from the doormat, and finally head to her room. She skidded straight to her closet, pulling out everything that would keep her for two weeks; clothes, a tooth brush, other pointless things. Her brain was already racing with a game plan. And nobody would ever find her. Her parents would try finding her for a few days, of course, but would hate their pitiful reputation ruined and they would forget about her like a lesbian in a religious family. And by the end of those two weeks, she would find some sort've job at some sketchy coffee shop in Bronx. She would live with Nico, in a tree, the only place she had ever felt whole.

Yes, it was stupid and melodramatic, but she didn't belong here. She couldn't watch her sisters break and tape themselves up again. She couldn't live with her father, a scummy hypocrite of his words. She couldn't deal with the woman who gave birth to her, a mother who was rarely home. She was never meant to be here at all. And maybe, just maybe, Hailey would one day forgive her.

She wrapped everything up in a backpack, and landed it on her bed one last time. She slammed open her drawer, trying to find an old cell phone that her parents probably didn't even know the number of, but then found something quite different. _A ring_.

She had many rings, a thousand of them, but this one was different. It was thick and silver, like it was made for a man, with a skull on top. If somebody glanced at it, it looked rough and possibly cheap, but when a person truly looked at they would notice it was old. A few generations at the least. No, it wasn't her father's, he would never wear anything with no jems, but she wouldn't be surprised if it was a ring that was only passed down. So why did she have it? It wasn't hers. Was it one of her sisters'? Her eyebrows arched together, partially confused and partially intrigued. Attached to it was a note. Her eyes widened. She lifted it up to her face, horror rumbling in her tummy. The writing was scratchy and curved, as if the writer hadn't wrote much in their life.

_I am sorry. _

Her eyes widened.

"No…" She whispered, "No…This…" She knew now that the window she heard slamming closed was truly a window. If only she saw it earlier, woke up just two seconds before, she would've fixed this all. Because somehow she already knew who it was.

She grabbed her backpack, roughly folding the note in half, slipping the large ring on her thumb, stuffing the crapload of cash that her father had always given her but yet she never used, and ran out. Her feet prodded down the dirty streets, her mind losing herself in a cold memory that would haunt her for the rest of her life. And yet, it seemed like it was a million years ago in her eyes.

_The memory of Nico replaced in her mind for weeks after their first encounter. She didn't have the nerve to go back so quickly, but there wasn't a day that didn't think about him. The boy seemed to strike her with fascination, something a boy had never done to her. She even started to walk by Manhattan Park on the way to school, just to see if she could see a glance of the homeless boy, but she was never close enough to see. For all she knew, the Boy in the Tree never existed. _

_ She didn't believe in hope, but all that didn't stop her from trying to see him again. Her life seemed to disappear behind her whenever she thought of the mysterious boy, and she didn't know if she liked that or not. But it wasn't until the day that she realized she was just as homeless as him did she see him again. _

_She didn't go that day though. It was raining, and the memory of the short encounter seemed like a childish dream. She had mentioned it to her friends once, but they either didn't believe that the "Beautiful Football Player" could hurt her or they just didn't care. Probably both. She was walking with them though, and of course, they wanted Starbucks. They had walked in proudly, flashing themselves like models while Connie followed behind invisibly. So invisible that her dad didn't even see her. She was going to go up to him, ask him why he wasn't working. He usually left early because, he would always tell her, he wanted to be the first person in the office. Well, he wasn't at the office must've been having an early meeting with one of his clients – a classy woman, she noticed. _

_ She walked halfway through the overly populated line, but then she saw where his hands were placed. It was then that she knew. A part of her was shocked, but not surprised. Never surprised. It made sense really – Her mother was with him for money, and her dad was with her because she was beautiful. But he didn't love her, and she didn't love him. Everything in her life was just a show. But it was pitiful. Sickening. _

_Maybe it was just a friend, she told herself, maybe he didn't really love her at all. _

_But yet the image flashed in her mind over and over, and suddenly she found herself running out the door. Far away from the Starbucks, farther away from her school, long gone from her home. She didn't know where she was running to, nor did she care, until she found herself in Manhattan Park. She collapsed against a tree and sobbed. Sobbed and sobbed until she heard somebody clear their throat. Stopping abruptly, she looked above her and finally noticed what tree she stopped by._

_ It was Nico. Her eyes widened, with her face blushing. Oh god, she thought to herself, he must've thought she was running to him on purpose. She probably looked like a victim now. Like she wasn't strong. First needing his help so she wouldn't get raped, and now sobbing over something that didn't matter in her world? _

_But he leaped across the branches and outstretched his hand. She took it. _

The memory seemed to fog her brain and she found herself in Manhattan Park in no time. She stopped running and went to a casual pace; trying not to attract attention she didn't want. She looked across the courtyard, and it seemed…empty. Why did it seem so suddenly empty? The same amount of people were there, the same level of noise, the atmosphere was just as blue. She grew closer and she realized that…The tree was gone. Her head whipped back and forth, making sure she wasn't just at the wrong end, but no…

It was just _gone. _No tree. At all. It was just a pile of grass. Her eyes widened. How was this?, She asked to herself.

It couldn't have happened overnight. No, it couldn't, or else everybody would be talking about it. The ancient, wide willow-tree? It was huge. People would've been talking about it. And yet it just _disappeared. _The grass underneath was already grown, as if it had been there just as long as every other patches of grass. Nobody else was looking at it, whispering to the person next to them. It was like they never knew it was there at all. As if it never existed.

_Was she going nuts?_

Her hand pulled her hair in frustration and stared at the blind spot as nausea filled her stomach. No, it wasn't there, she wasn't hallucinating. But then a shock hit her, even worse than being nuts. That meant…That meant Nico wasn't there anymore. Her breath shook. _What was going on? _

No, she told herself sternly, she couldn't give up. She could do this – She just had to find him. He had to be in some new tree somewhere – Probably not too far away. But she could find him. She was a survivor, she was good at this.

She was even trying to wrench herself for another plan. Where to find him, how to find him, until somebody interrupted the relieving silence.

"What the-" Somebody's voice projected angrily like a wave, "Damn him! _Damn-" _Connie redirected her eyes to the voice, coming not too far away from the place she was staring at. Everybody else was staring a thousand miles away from him, but his eyes lay directly where the tree was supposed to be. He noticed too.

"'Oh, its okay, you'll do fine! Just be careful because he recently found a way to damn the living!'" She heard him mimic bitterly as she slowly approached, "WELL THANKS PERCY! GREAT WARNING! YOU DIDN'T TELL ME HE COULD DAMN A BLOODY TWENTY FOOT ANCIENT WILLOW TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF MANHATTAN PARK!" She sucked in her breath and approached quicker. He knew something, she realized, she didn't understand what but she knew he knew something. She stopped about five feet away, staring at him timidly. She let him blow up a little more, his voice growing lower and lower until the only evidence of his anger was only his shaking hands.

She could've cleared her throat like a polite lady, as her mother would. She could've approached him more concealed, like her father would. She could've put on a friendly face and asked him if he was okay, like Hailey would.

But instead, she said as loudly as she dared as she walked near him, "You're looking for Nico, aren't you?" There was no hint of kindness in her voice. His head jotted towards her, anger still flaming his eyes. She didn't flinch, but her face did drain.

His eyes softened when he saw her grimace and said tightly, "Yes. I am. You know him?" He said it was a shocking tone, as if she wasn't pretty enough or something. She flushed.

"Yes, I've known him for the last year. Why?" She asked harshly. His face of shock didn't go away.

"We're talking about the same guy right? Fifteen-Sixteen, shaggy hair, kinda creepy?" Her eyes narrowed.

"Who are _you_? His brother?" It was a stretchy thought, but she couldn't help but see the resemblance. The boy she was looking had a squarish body, and not near as tall. His hair was a curly blonde fluff, unlike Nico's black wave, and unlike having black eyes like Nico's he was wearing bright purple contacts. But there was a glint in his eye, alike to what she saw in Nico's. Like he was different, just like him.

But his face turned all scrunchy again.

"No!" He barked, "God, that would-" He must've seen the death-like look on Connie's face because he stopped abruptly.

"I'm just looking for him, alright?" He told her lightly, his face flattening out "No need to worry, sweetheart." She rolled her eyes.

"Yeah? And you didn't think of doing that for the last year?" She asked him sharply just as he was about to turn away, "You know he's been living in a tree, right? For ages!" He frowned.

"Yes, I did thank-you-very-much."

"And you're the reason he ran away again? Left the only thing he found as a home?" The boy stepped near her dangerously.

"He had a home," He shot back harshly, "His own house all by himself, actually. Perfectly fine."

"Yeah, then why did he leave?" Connie continued, "Who forced him out?" He threw his hands in the air angrily.

"Nobody _forced _him out! He chose to himself! He's Nico di Angelo!" Connie choked on her breath when she heard his last name. For some reason, she just never pictured his last name. He was so unusual, so mysterious, so unlike anybody else, she could never really imagine him with one.

"Just forget about him alright!" The boy waved her off angrily, turning on his heel, "No offense, but you _obviously _can't help me."

"B—But I'm his friend," Her voice said in a whisper-like-tone. He saluted her insultingly as he kept on. An anger rose in her.

"I talked to him every day!" She yelled as he grew away faster, "I care about him!" His feet kept walking.

"WHAT IF I SAID HE WAS IN LOVE WITH ME?" She blurted. Her face flushed instantly, suddenly not trusting her tongue. Did he? Was he? Could he? He stopped suddenly, and turned his head.

"Well, then I'd say you better come with me, sweetheart."


	4. Lies & Pines

**A New Roommate**

It smelled like death. The darkness crowded around them like it was its own animal, making them blind to life itself. He breathed in the stiff air like it was smoke and listened to the loud silence of the room. Sometimes, it felt like this room was made only for him. It was cold and shivering and dark. He hated it. Yet he loved it at the same exact time.

"Don't do it, Nico," He heard the voice hiss behind him, "It's stupid. It's immature. It's not _you._" He shook his head.

"You don't get it, do you? I have to do it," He told him strongly, "Or else they'll find me. Or else ..." Something choked in his throat, something that stopped him from saying his words. The person behind him heard it, but didn't bother asking. Everybody had reasons that were too horrid to say.

"Find you at Camp Half-Blood?" The voice echoed with a scuff, "Where else do you think you're going to go? That stupid Roman Camp? Yeah, Percy said it was a bad decision now that they invaded. So whatever you're thinking, forget it." His eyes turned to slits.

"I'm not going back to that bloody _Roman Camp, _alright?" He hissed coolly, "Just leave me alone. I have my own plan."

"What?" The voice said in cold laughter, "You're not actually considering living in that tree forever, are you? Yeah, that's going to help you. If _he _doesn't find you, some desperate kid from Camp craving a quest will find you."

"I have a plan!" He snapped loudly, "I just…Need time. A week or two, alright?" At first, the voice didn't say anything.

"I still remember, you know. The first time you went to that camp and you were 'That Kid'. I'm not going to lie, Nico. Sometimes, I sorta miss that kid."

(Imagine three dashes here)

"Rule number one: No asking stupid questions. Number two: You listen to me. I don't give a devil if you think I'm wrong – I'm letting _you _stay here, not the other way around. If I tell you t hide – You hide. If I tell you to run – You run. If I tell you to knock down a ninety year old woman and rob her of her cash – Do it! Number three: Don't get yourself killed, because that's messy. I'm not in the mood to clean up some little girl's blood. It's smelly and sticky and it wastes time. Number four: You tell me everything you know about this Nico-Kid. No hiding stupid crap because you think it's 'your business'. It's not your business. It's _my _business," He listed to her firmly. She rolled her eyes for the thousandth time. So far, she thought this guy took it too seriously. What? Are the thousand and two zombies going to pop out of the trees and ambush them? No, and it didn't matter anyways. If Nico really wasn't in New York City (like this annoying kid kept telling her), he would probably be behind a trashcan or in a broken down car. Not in some sort've arena where they are fighting for their souls. But deep down, she found it all amusing. If anything, going alone would've been a lot less funny.

"And number five?" She added, humor dripping in her voice "What is number five?" He gave her a dirty look.

"If you're going to back out, you better back out now. Because this isn't some girly trip to Las Vegas. It's dangerous. It's hard. You may just die. You miss your family? Suck it up. You miss your friends? Live with it. You want to go home? _This _is your home." She had no humor dripping now. She had a flash of Hailey, coming up the stairs, opening her room, and realizing she wasn't there. Or her other sisters, whining about not having any food and them trying to find her but they never would. It pained her, but a part of her told her she had to keep walking. She had to keep going. She couldn't let them pull her down or else her life would never get better.

"I'm not going to back out," She hissed in a low voice in slight defense. His eyes flickered at her, as if he was trying to read her. Her eyes looked back into his sharply.

"Good," He told her after a long second, "Now come on, we need to get through these trees." She rolled her eyes immediately, but didn't open her mouth to object. She tried to tell him numerous times that going through New York City would be much easier, since there was a million and two people on the streets so they would be hidden, but he swore to her that the best way out was to get out through the wilderness. She then proceeded to ask him how far along this bloody wilderness went, and he told her it was a stupid question. And then she questioned how he knew Nico, he told her it was a stupid question. And then, of course, she had to ask him if he had a stinkin' plan at _all._ He told her that was a stupid question.

"Can I at least ask your name?" She asked coolly, "Or is that a stupid question too?" His cold eyes flashed at her.

"It's a stupid question," He confirmed to her, "But just because you're _so _nice about it sweetheart, I'll tell you. It's Pollux. Pollux Jameson." Her nose wrinkled. To her, Pollux reminded her of some rich kid that would flaunt his life at school. You know, one of the kids that have the sorta name "Pollux-The-Third" or something, and was the son of some rich guy who did absolutely nothing. But she could tell by this guy's clothes that he was nothing to do with the word 'rich'. His jeans were ripped, his flip-flops were worn-down, his shirt was just an old camp shirt that said 'Camp Half-Blood' on it. Her eyebrows furrowed after she read the words on his shirt. Most people in her school _did _go to camps before, but she had never heard of that one.

"And you, sweetheart?" He asked sharply, "Your name?" Her eyebrows perked up in surprise. For some reason, she wasn't expecting his interest.

"My name is Const—Connie," She corrected herself quickly, "Connie."

"Alright Caroline-"

"Connie."  
"Whatever Cornelia." She rolled her eyes.

"So what are you, some secret agent or something?" She continued to ask as she hopped over a mossy log, smirking "You're kinda young." He rolled his eyes back at her.

"Hardy-Har-Har," He sneered.

"Well, it _is_ a question. I mean, why do you care about finding Nico?" Her voice drawled, "No offense, but you don't seem like the sort've guy to care about anything." He obviously didn't feel like she deserved an answer.

"And you came to that tree so you can run away with him, I'm guessing?" He snickered. Her teeth clenched. Not because it bothered her, but because she knew he was just trying to get her goat.

"Isn't your family going to miss you?" He continued, pushing it, "Or is being a girl in New York City so har-"

"Shut up!" She suddenly bursted, "I left for _me. _Don't worry; you won't need to get your panties in a bunch with people trying to find me. They won't." His eyes stopped dancing with amusement and stared at her hard. Deep down, she felt embarrassed by her outbreak, but he didn't ask.

"I didn't think I would need to, love," He told her seriously. He didn't say it like nobody cared, but as if he might just trust her judgment. She swallowed.

"Nice ring," He commented, after a long dreadful silence. At first, she didn't know what he was talking about until she glimpsed down and noticed the silver ring again. She stared down at it for a long moment before speaking.

"Yeah," She agreed in a mumble. He didn't ask where she got it, but by the look in his eyes she knew he was curious. A curiosity that she understood.

_Her feet silently went up the tree like a banshee. She smiled to herself as her feet bounced up and right, and how good she was finally getting at this. She used to have to call for The Boy in The Tree's help, but lately her feet had finally decided to be her friend. She let go of the coke pack between her teeth and sat at one of the tallest branches, with Nico's feet dripping next to her head. Usually he would do something to call her attention, like nod toward her or clear his throat. But he didn't notice her. She looked up at him, and tried to see what his eyes were staring at. Was it the bark? Was it the sky? What was it now that redirected him from her eyes? But then she realized, it wasn't her at all._

_He was holding a ring. He twisted it around in his hand, letting it shimmer between his fingers. It was a rich, reddish-gold that had blood-red gems scattered across it, with the main jewel a black stone. She didn't understand why he was holding it – It was huge. Twice as big as his middle finger, at least. It was far from any celebration ring, she knew. But it was beautiful, she had to admit. Like a heavenly fire. Good and bad in one band. _

_ "Nice ring," She commented. He jumped on his tree branch and immediately stuffed the ring in his overly-worn jacket. He shifted his head to the sky suddenly, unable to look at her. _

_ "What's it for?" She asked calmly. He merely shrugged. Her lips pursed. She knew by his ma__nners that he didn't like to be pushed, but something made her die of curiosity. Sure, it was just a ring, but something about it interested her. If he had such a wealthy ring, why was he living in a tree? But she knew that it was a story that he didn't need to share, so she smiled up at him._

_ "Coke?" She asked. _

The memory seemed to hit her hard, understanding Pollux's curiosity, but she twisted it on her finger. For some reason, she knew it wasn't something to share. It was Nico's and for some reason he thought she should have it.

"_Did you hear me_?" Snapped a sharp voice. She looked up at Pollux in surprise. His eyes were like colorful daggers.

"I'm sorry," She said, not very sorry, "What did you say?"

"I said, we need to find camp," He said with a sigh. She blinked. It was then that she stared up at the sky and saw how it was turning shades of orange and red. She didn't know where the time went – It seemed like it was only a few hours ago that Pollux had introduced her to the adventure.

"Well, let's just lay down here, then," She told him helpfully, eyeing the patches of plain grass they were finally at "I think I have something to lay on somewhere in this backp-"

"No, we need fire," He corrected her, "Gods, if you're going to come with me, you need to start using your head." Her face flushed.

"I am! It's like ninety degrees out here, why would we-"

"What about the thought that when that sun goes down it's going to be cold?" Pollux said coolly, "Plus, I have some marshmallows I'd like to roast." She snickered.

"Marshmallows? Really?" She asked with a slight giggle. When he looked back at her his eyes were hard.

"Yeah, we always do that at camp Half-Blood," He explained to her. She frowned.

"Camp Half Blood?" She asked, eyeing his tattered shirt. He rolled his eyes, walking in front of her at a fast pace.

"Yeah," He said, "I live there. Year-long camp, y'know." She nodded, though she didn't know at all. It was still school year – Why was did he live at a camp year-long?

"Alright, let's just get some sticks and-" But then suddenly, a vibe cut off her words. It felt like every nerve in her body had completely stopped. She couldn't explain what stopped her from taking the next step. Something told her _no_.

"Do you feel that?" She asked in a low voice. He turned around irritably.

"Feel what?" he asked impatiently.

"That...That feeling!" She told him, "It's like a shiver."

"No! I don-" But then his words stopped as well.

"Oh gods," He whispered. She didn't fear in his eyes, but yet alertness.

"What?" She asked, as he grew frozen, staring off at a distance behind her head, "Wha-"

But then she turned around and saw it. Her eyes widened. She couldn't tell what it was – It was huge and red and snarling. It was like a bear mixed with a werewolf. And it was staring right at them. She felt herself backing up slowly, her eyes wide in shock.

"Poll-" But when she stared back at him, something long and glittery was in his hand. It took her a moment to realize what in the world what it was – Three feet long, a handle, a pointy end. It was a _sword_. She jumped back from him instantly, not sure if she wanted to be closer to him or the animal. Her eyes filled with horror.

"Where'd you get that?" She gasped, her stomach swirling with nausea, "Are you psychotic? Who brings a sword t-to...?" She could nearly hear Hailey chiding; _This is what you get for running away with a guy who's only been spitting crazy stuff. _A voice told her to run from both of them, the crazy guy who had a sword and the wacky creature in front of her. Who in the world has a _sword? _And what kind've animal is mutated that way?

"MOVE!" He screamed, shoving her toward a tree. She felt her head bang against it, making her fall down like a feather against the trunk. Her eyes fluttered open slowly, trying not to lose sight of what was going watched, with stars in her eyes, as Pollux bravely ran after it. The bear/werewolf/thing roared, but Pollux didn't seem afraid.

"POLLUX!" She heard her voice scream, "DON'T-" But he knew the sword well. He lunged at it, hitting the _thing _straight in the stomach. She let out a high-pitched screech.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" She screamed, "RUN! RUN, POLLUX!" She didn't care if it got her – She was a long-lost cause anyways, but him? He seemed like he had a life to live. A home to go back to, friends that loved him.

"POLLUX!" She screamed as he continued to fight with the animal. Her scream distracted him.

"Would you shut up?" He snarled toward her. The bear/werewolf/thing swung at him, hitting him in the face. He fell to the ground. Her voice had no way to scream anymore. The monster was about to stomp on him, but then suddenly Pollux flipped up and ran his sword directly into his heart.

The next thing Connie saw, she would never be able to repeat. The animal went down, falling to its knees, but instead of laying still, it started to blow away. _Literally. _It started to swarm into what looked like ashes, its whole body spreading. She didn't breathe until every bit of it was gone.

"What...What was that?" She whispered, "Who...Who are you?" There was blood oozing down his face like a flood, and she would've reached out for him to help him but something about him stopped her. His eyes connected with her's, and suddenly she saw pity. Sadness. Almost an apology.

"I think we need to talk," He said to her.

(Imagine three dashes here)

There were twelve gods. They called themselves Olympians. Fifty years ago, there was a prophecy that explained that a child of the eldest Gods would either raze or save Olympia when it came to a war that was approaching them. This scared them. In attempt to prevent the war, three of the biggest gods had to stop having children, and the rest of the gods must not communicate with demigods – Their children who were half god and half mortal. They were forced to ignore them. But all three gods broke their promise and made 'mistakes'. These 'mistakes' were the ones that leaded the defeat of the Titans, their enemy when the war erupted, and the rule of The Big Three was banished. Nico was one of these mistakes.

And Connie believed none of it.

She listened intently as Pollux explained it to her, reaching into her eyes deeply, begging her to believe. She nodded her head with every word he told her, pretending she believed him.

"And that's why I'm here. Nico has been gone for a year and a half now. I mean, yeah, sure, he isn't at camp a lot, but he's usually somewhere else. Like the Roman Camp or something, and he's _always_ in touch with Chiron – One of the directors – But then he just disappeared off the earth. So my dad," His dad, he means Dionysus, "Sent me on a quest to find him. And then I found you and…Well…Yeah, that's my story." At first, she just stared at him. Her grey eyes leveled with his purple, and there was a deadly silence.

"You're telling me," She said this slowly, "That Nico is a Greek god?"  
"Demigod!" Pollux corrected quickly, "He has a mortal mo-"

"And he led an army?" She continued, "In the middle of… Manhattan?" She could see him swallow.

"Come on; don't tell me you don't remember that disaster? When all the people went to sleep and buildings got destroyed-"

"That was a result of the radiation tower breaking that made everybody pass out. And, the thing that destroyed the buildings was the hurricane," She told him gently, "I'm not sure who told you this but Pollux-"

"Come on, you know how Nico is creepy right?" His voice rose, "Oh, please! Don't give me that look! He has this…creepiness to him. It's because of his dad! It's because his dad is-"

"You know," She interrupted, her eyes dazing like she had an epiphany, "You're right. I think you're right." His eyes lit up.

"Are you serious? You believe me? You think-"

"Oh, yeah, totally. Which is why I'm leaving. I don't want to get in a way of your…_quest_." She scooped up her backpack quickly, and jumped to her feet. Her pace quickened away from him, trying to hide the tears that were forming in her eyes because now she would have to go back to that awful city of her's.

"Wait, Carrie, come on, you saw me destroy that monster!" She gripped the backpack straps tightly and kept walking, shaking her head as she went.

"I can't find him without you!" He yelled, "I—I…" His voice seemed to disappear behind her as she jumped between the trees.

"His father is Hades!" She kept going.

"CONNIE!" Suddenly, she stopped. She couldn't handle it anymore – She swerved around and looked at him. He was still on the ground, desperateness filling his face.

"You…Need…Help," She said slowly, emphasizing each word, "There is no such thing as Greek gods or Hades or whatever. I'm not sure if you're making fun of me or-"

"No, No! I'd never make fun of you like that. I'm serious, come on, I'm serious!"

"But Nico isn't on 'Most Wanted'. If somebody wanted to find him, he'd be somewhere more concealed then a tree," She spat. He jumped from his feet.

"I'd hide in a tree! Honestly, who in the worldwould think of looking in a _tree_?"

"Pollux…"

"Then why is there a camp for us, huh?" He asked her, pointing at his shirt, "Camp Half-Blood. Why?"

"Personally," She said coolly, "I don't think it's a real camp at all, I think you made that shirt cause I've never heard of it in my lif-" But then she realized that sitting here arguing with somebody who was _obviously _out of his mind was not productive at all. If she hurried, she may just get home before her parents figured out she left. She turned away from him and continued to stomp up the terrain.

"No! I know him. He was at camp with me! I can prove it!" She didn't turn around.

"LOOK!" Suddenly, he was in front of her. How he got there so quickly? She didn't know, but he was there like a ninja. She stumbled back immediately.

"Get away from me!" She screeched as her back hit a tree, "GET-" But then he held up a photo.

It was _him. _Yet, he looked a thousand years younger. He was standing next to a boy, Percy he told her, and he seemed so small. He wasn't near as tall as he is now – He looked like he was barely 5'2", when now he had to be six feet tall. His face didn't have a hair, but now he had stubble. His body seemed like such a boy, rather than a man, but she knew it wasn't that long ago that it was taken. Because of his eyes. Beneath the black, there was a glitter to it. Like he had a story to tell. Like he had scars and fears and everything else, but he was holding on. He was strong enough to keep going.

And, he had a Camp Half-Blood shirt on.

"You see that?" Pollux asked as he pointed at something in the background, "That's Chiron. He's a Centaur. That's not something you see every day!" She yanked the photo from his grip and she stared it. It looked like a…

"Half man, half horse," She answered herself. Pollux threw his hands in the air.

"So _now _do you believe me, Clarissa?"


	5. Pollux's Tale

**The Grape Vine**

His black knife sliced the bark sharply, causing strings of wood to fall beneath him. He heard a crack behind him and he turned his head. There the visitor stood, staring at him. He turned his back to the visitor coldly.

"You found her, didn't you?" He heard the visitor say in awe, "_You found the girl._" Nico's nose flared.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone."  
"Have you done the job yet?" The visitor questioned in excitement, "Nico, tell me you did the job." He let out an annoyed sigh and ripped the majority of wood off the carving.

"Wait…Don't tell me…" Anger seemed to drip in his voice, "Don't tell me you left her there!" Nico's teeth clenched.

"She's not a thing that you're dreaming her up to be," Nico told him sharply, "She's useless."

"Did you at least tell her who she was?" The visitor's voice rose, "What she can do?"

"Please, I have never met somebody so clueless about their own identity in my entire _life,"_ Nico scuffed, eyeing his sharp bark, "She knows nothing and I'm not willing to tell her." The visitor behind him sucked in his breath. He couldn't believe his eyes, how naive the Ghost King was being. He shook his head at him, pacing in a small circle in distress. Nico glanced down at him after a few moments.

"Are you going to leave or what?" Nico snapped, "I have to meet somebody soo-"

"That's why you left!" The visitor pieced together, finally "You left that bloody tree because of her! You left because—because..." Nico rolled his eyes.

"You fell in love with her, didn't you?" Nico's whole body shifted towards him like a lightning bolt, his eyes suddenly seeming like hot-black fire.

" I don't _love _anybody, Jarr. Now, _leave me alone._"

"NICO!" Hatred raised in his voice, "SHE WAS OUR WEAPON! What did you do? You should've left her to _me." _At first, Nico was silent.

"You want her blood? Take it. Kill her," Nico said, cooler then ice, "But just remember the Underworld is my territory. It would only be better for me."

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

She was sitting in a tree. A beautiful, wide-oak tree.

"Pringles?" Asked the voice beside her, a comforting tone ringing his voice, "They're good?" She turned to the purple-eyed fellow. He was holding up some Pringles, but she could only see his eyes. She got caught in the purple swirls.

"They're not contacts are they?" She asked him shakily, "Your eyes?" He reflected the same look she's given him since he told her who he was.

"Why in the world would I get colored contacts?" He asked sharply, "Those ar-" But then he saw the desperate look in her eyes and he stopped.

"Yes," He said flatly, "I got it from my dad. He has...purple eyes too." She redirected her vision to the sky, reminding herself that she needed to breathe. She had to keep breathing. She couldn't believe she was getting into this – Why would there be multiple gods? Why would they have shown themselves?

"That doesn't make sense. It's against everything I've ever seen," She said to him, "I mean, I've had so many dreams about God. One God." Suddenly, he seemed more alert.

"You see dreams of God?" He asked her, "Like…dreams? At night?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I've had dreams of Him for as long as I can remember. I don't really go to church, so I don't know why, but I dunno…Whenever I have a dream it's of God. Only one God. Why would I dream of God if there is more than one? Wouldn't the…the Gods prevent that? Wouldn't they prevent those dreams because they don't want to influence other religions?" He stared at her. For some reason, he couldn't answer.

"And why don't more people know about them? If all those religions aren't real, wouldn't we know more about the one that _is _real? Like in our culture and stuff?" She asked him hollowly, "Wouldn't we see all the monsters? Beyond the…" Her voice disappeared for a moment, "The m-mist?" He was still staring at her wildly.

"Well, some people do…." He told her slowly, "Like what you saw. Most mortals can't see stuff like that." Her eyebrows furrowed and her head snapped back at him.

"You're telling me I can see through the mist?" She asked sharply, "You're telling me I can see demons and monsters and people like you?" He gave her a slight smile.

"A lot of people don't notice immediately. I mean, think about it. You were always sheltered, weren't you? Your parents were wealthy," He told her, and she was tempted to make a sinister remark, "So they kept you in a bubble where you didn't have the chance to see anything. Except Nico's tree." Her eyes widened.

"You think Nico's tree was invisible to others?" She asked, her voice becoming stonger, "No, that can't be right. Jace Rodgers saw it too! Jace…" But then her voice disappeared.

"I think his tree was invisible sometimes, when Nico was paranoid that somebody he knew was around. But when he felt secure, he didn't let the mist hide it. Nico has…unusual powers," He said carefully, "I think he's able to manipulate the mist. Or maybe, you know, Jace can see the mist too. It's possible." It wasn't possible. None of it was possible.

"And I'm…not some god-thing, right?" She asked him slowly, her eyes wide, "I'm not…one of _you._" He made an awkward face.

"Demigod?" He asked, and she nodded, "I don't think so. If you were, they would've claimed you by now. The gods are required by now. Plus, you have a mom and dad that claim to be your biological parents right?" She brushed her hair back from her face.

"Right, I'm sorry…I'm just…It's so hard to take in," She whispered feebly, "And you? You're a son of Dionysus." He nodded grimly.

"Look, it's hard at first. I remember figuring it all out. I was seven. And my brother-" She saw his face drain, "It was just hard. Even now, it's hard to talk to our godly parents. That's why a lot of demigods rebel. They feel abandoned. And then there's people like you who think they are going nuts because they can see things others can't. It's just…Sometimes I think it's not right. Sometimes I wonder if it would be better if all the mortals could see through the mist." His purple eyes looked a thousand miles away at that moment.

She let out a nervous laugh. "I guess," She said, "But theres people like my parents who would try to catch you guys and sell you for money if they knew, so I guess I don't really blame the mist." She could tell by the look on his face that he disagreed with her completely. His eyes were a thousand miles away.

"Anyways," She said, cutting off the serious, deep look on his face, "You guys fight? For your parents?" He shrugged.

"Our parents, the world," He said, "Honestly, Camilla-"

"Connie."  
"Sometimes I don't know what we're fighting for. I mean, we die every day. We fight every day. There isn't a time where we aren't almost dead," He told her with a sigh, "And then every time you're close to death, you have to think about what you're going to lose if you do die. If all this fighting is worth it. Because every time you're bleeding to death or barely breathing, you think about your family and friends. Until they get you into the clinic and then it starts all over again. You heal, you train, you fight, you watch people die, and then you almost die too." She hadn't thought about that.

"You watch a lot of people die, huh?" She asked gently. He nodded.

"My brother died not too long ago. My twin brother," He said in a low voice, "And then this girl – Man, I fancied her so bad but she had a boyfriend – She died in the Battle of Manhattan. It's like we all die. That's all we do. Fight and die. Until there's none of us left." She didn't know what to say. She couldn't imagine it. Seeing her friends, her family, die. Her sisters, Nico. Never could she imagine it.

"Do you think Nico is okay?" She said in a small voice. His eyes looked back into her's, digging into her irises.

"We're never okay." As if on cue, they heard thunder above them. It nearly knocked her from her tree, but he was sitting there calmly. For a moment, it reminded her of Nico. Always calm, no matter what. He sighed.

"He heard me," He whispered in disgust. She gave him a funny look.

"Who?" She asked.

"Zeus. He gets mad when we get mad at the gods. He thinks it's disrespectful," He told her bitterly. She still didn't' understand.

"Wait, what?" She asked sharply. It was then that she started to feel the tear drops falling from the clouds, which seemed so sad as they shimmered down at them. He grumbled something under his breath, making the rain hit them harder.

"Forget it," He spat angrily, but she knew it wasn't her that he was angry at, "We aren't going to be able to make a campfire now. By the time this stupid storm passes, it'll be too dark to find the right type of sticks. Just make yourself comfortable." She didn't question him.

"And go to sleep?" She asked him hollowly. He nodded grimly. She pushed her backpack up toward the back of her head. She turned to look at Pollux to make sure he had some sort've thing to lay on, and sure enough he did.

She was about to close her eyes when she heard, "And Cinderella?" She turned toward him, not bothering to correct him.

"Hm?" She asked. His eyes dug into her's so deep it was overwhelming.

"You remember how you were telling me about having dreams?" He said, his voice quivering slightly, "Tell me if you have on tonight." She didn't respond, but merely turned over, letting her eyes close while staring at the stars.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

She dreamed of God. It was a dream she has seen a million times, but yet every time it felt like it was a different scenario.

It was May 17th . She didn't know how she knew what day it was– She just _knew_. It started in the rain, like always. It looked like she was in some kind've flower-infested meadow, but instead of having typical flowers like sunflowers or daisies, it was roses. Blood-red roses that were so dark and beautiful that it was impossible not to look at them. It was nighttime, and it seemed like everything was glowing that night. The roses, the grass, the trees, the bushes. Everything.

But that wasn't the unnatural part; the unnatural part was that she was in somebody else's body. She never could see who she was, but she could feel it. She could feel her heart beating, her eyes scrolling, her mouth smiling.

God was in front of her. She knew it was God. She just _knew. _Maybe it was because He looked like her idea of God, with His rich dark hair, and His black eyes filled with love and tenderness beneath the powerful gleam. He was looking at her seriously, His smile lines turning into frowning lines.

"Go home," He told her sternly, "Listen to me. Go home." She felt herself shake her head, and her fingers find his. His breath caught when she held His fingers, which were as soft as the meadow itself but rough with power. He didn't like it, she knew that, but He couldn't help but hold on to her. He needed her. Somewhere, deep down, he knew that.

"But I don't want to go home," She heard herself say in a voice that wasn't hers, "I don't belong there."

"I'm not going to convince you, I'm _telling _you," He said to her firmly, but He added gently, "Please." For some reason, she didn't feel like she was beneath God. It was a weird thing to explain – Like she saw Him the same as she saw herself. Flawed so much that he was perfect.

"That's not my home," She tried to tell Him, "It's not my home."

"My child, go home," He told her, His black eyes flashing dangerously, "Go home." He let go of her hand, and started to walk out of the meadow, parting ways. She started to walk away as well, not as sad as He seemed, but enough to accept hope. The scene suddenly became very slow. God stopped at the trees, and she kept walking. Farther away from Him, farther away from what He was saying. He was fumbling with something in his pocket, twisting it. His eyes seemed so gone as He watched her, the anxiousness building on Him.

She was almost gone before He screamed for her. She swerved around. They were suddenly back at the middle of the meadow within a flash.

"I want you to have this," He told her, His hand reaching back into his pocket. Her eyes leveled to His hand. Emotions seemed to build insider her chest, and just as He was about to pull it out, she woke up.

She bolted upward with a gasp, clenching her throat. She looked down at her, looking at her dirty clothes. She was back in her body. It was okay, she was okay. She didn't have any worries – She didn't have to go home. Never again would she have to go home.

She didn't realize Pollux was staring at her until she turned her head. He was looking at her curiously.

"Had an issue there, sweetheart?" He asked. She looked around her, examining the tree, realizing again where she was. And then she told him. Everything. She didn't know why she did, she knew it wasn't real, and she didn't see any reason why he should know, but she told him. When she reached back into his eyes, he looked like he was thinking a million miles away. It looked like something big was going through his head. He opened his mouth, and she was expecting some magnificent explanation about how her imagination sometimes goes too far.

"That's wack," He told her instead, after a long moment. Her eyes narrowed.

"It's just a dream though," She said, not knowing if she was telling him or herself, "It was just a bad dream. It won't happen." He shrugged.

"If it makes you feel better, my dad always says to be lucky it didn't happen in real life, or else you'd either end up dead or seriously injured." She took in a heavy breath.

"Pollux, that didn't make me feel better at all," She confessed lightly, and slid down the large tree. He followed behind her soundlessly.

"Then again," He added to himself, walking in front of her "My dad has 'Life sucks, then you die' on his door, so I guess he isn't somebody to look up to." Her eyebrows perked up in amusement.

"Nah, that's nothing," She told him, "My dad is way worse. I found him having an affair less than a floor away from his own wife." He gave her a tight smile.

"My dad is sentenced to fifty years at a camp," He said with a snicker.

"Ten years ago, my dad scammed a major company of one million dollars," She said with a smirk, "He had to change his name not to get a life-sentence."

"My dad has talked to me three times in my whole life," He said to her, smiling proudly. She shook her head instantly.

"Oh please! He lives three cabins away from you!" She argued playfully.

"He does. He just personally hasn't talked to me. When I was assigned a quest from him, he said literally, 'Chiron, tell Pollux he can go on his little quest'. I was three feet away from him." Her smile faltered. Pollux's smile faltered to once he realized the seriousness that crossed her face. But then, suddenly, she burst out laughing.

"Your dad is a jerk just like mine, isn't he? Our dads need to have coffee!" She laughed. He let out a laugh too.

"And oh god, maybe my mom should go too…" She added, between her laughs, "She hasn't said hello to me in weeks, and I'm the one who wakes her up in the morning." He let out a laugh again.

"Sweetheart, I have two mothers," He said to her, "And I'm not even adopted." Her eyes widened in hysterics.

"What?" She asked giggling, "What are they, lesbians?" He roared in laughter.

"No, see, my dad thought his immortal wife wanted children for her birthday, so he decided to implant children into a mortal woman like Virgin Mary." She spat out in laughter, her laughs ringing out amongst the trees as she walked back them.

"Then, when she gave birth, she decided she wanted to keep us," He said, throwing his hands in the air, "Like is there something wrong with that or what?" She was laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe at that point.

"And then – Oh, this is the good part - the Immortal Wife didn't even throw a fit," He told her, the once-funny-joke turning into a sick one, "So now I have two Christmases. Half the day, I have to stay at camp to see my mother who looks younger than me. And then the other half I have to go spend with a woman who lives in a trailer park." She had to cover her mouth from making her laughs out of hand.

"Our lives are so messed up," She said, after their laughter's died, "Oh man..." He let out one last laugh.

"Yeah, it is, but I've heard worse," He promised her. And sadly, she has too. The moments were nice, walking and laughing, and it was truly the first time she has happy she left. It gave her hope that maybe once she got Nico, it would be permanently like this. Laughing. True happiness.

"So what's the plan, son of Dionysus?" She asked, smirking as he rolled his eyes, "To find a kid that can make trees invisible?" He shrugged.

"Well, I found the first tree by my epic-Dionysus-senses," He said, giving her a small smile, "See, my dad is known for wine, right? And so that gives me a connection to plants. I knew he was in New York somewhere, and so I started there. Nico has this weird smell that he leaves on plants, so I kinda just…followed until I found that empty place." She kinda understood what he was saying. Sort've.

"I guess that makes sense," She said, "But Nico is a smart kid. He's not going to do that again." He nodded, stuffing his fingers in his front pockets.

"Yep, that's the issue. He's always two steps in front of us all." She nodded, suddenly remembering a vision. A time he once said that too.

_Her hair was in a messy ball, with her pajamas on, without a trace of socks or shoes. The yellow moon shined over them as her mouth opened wider then she had ever opened it and her tongue moved too fast for her to realize. She was supposed to be sleep in her bed, but she couldn't do it – She had to visit The Boy in The tree. Her night had been bad, filled with screaming and tears, but the only thing that was close to tears now was the laughs she was sharing with a boy in an empty park. They could hear New York in a distance, screaming, but to them it was silent. At that moment, right then, they were away from the world. _

_ "I don't know…" She was telling the story of her night which was so bad it was funny, "I'm sorry, I lodge all this on you, I just…You make it better." She saw heat rise on his face under the moons light. _

_ "Life is harder then death." Her eyes looked at him, rather than the naive ants that were living in a city too small for them. She couldn't imagine the bad junk in his life. What made him leave from whatever horrible world he came from. _

_ "How do you do it, Nico?" She asked him in a small voice, "How do you get away with this? Running into trees, hiding?" He shrugged at first, staring at the moon. _

_ "You just gotta make sure you're two steps in front of everybody else."_

Now, at that moment, her eyes seemed to be a thousand miles away.

"Life is harder then death," She repeated out loud. Pollux gave her a weird look.

"What?" He asked. Her eyes shot at him.

"That's what he said to me once," She told him hollowly, "Life is harder then death." She expected an irrational look to cross Pollux's face, but suddenly he let out a laugh.

"Yeah, _he'd _known. He's lived in the Underworld!" The comment was supposed to be funny, but the thought made her heart beat stop. Her whole body stopped walking and her face drained. She couldn't' move. _The Underworld…He's been to the Underworld_? It was then that she realized what Nico was. Who he was. How much she didn't know.

"He's the son of Hades," She said out loud. Pollux turned around, surprised that she had stopped.

"Yeah, I told you that, remember?" His voice seemed far away from her, light years away. A lump stuck in her throat.

"Pollux," She said, looking into his eyes, "How powerful is Nico?" His mouth parted for a moment, as if he finally saw her confusion. How much she really didn't know it. She could tell by the long silence that he didn't know how to explain it, and that silence only made her stomach clench.

"Let me say it this way," He said, licking his lips, "He is the Ghost King."

AN: Thank you for all the reviews and my admirer *cough* TheSeventhNecromancer *cough*

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	6. Nico's Secret

**Persephone's Request**

It was nightfall. The tree breezed slightly, knocking Nico side to side like a baby in a rocking crib. He closed his eyes for a moment, digesting his life. Sometimes, he forgot he was still alive. That he had a working heartbeat and a breathing lung and warm blood swimming in his veins. That he was stronger than this. That he was too strong to give up. Sometimes, he wished he was dead, just like everybody else he knew. Sometimes, he thought it would be easier.

His eyes fell down at the picture he was holding. A pain of anger hit him. She didn't know him, he knew that. But something drew her to him. Didn't she see that? Didn't she notice that? Sure, it took him a while to recognize her too, but she was always curious why he didn't look at her. She had to figure it out somehow. Sometime, she will.

It was horrible though to go through this alone. He may have just left Jarr permanently, and he couldn't tell Percy what he was doing. Percy would get himself killed getting into this mess, and he is one of the few people who actually likes him. If he learned what he was doing…He may just lose his only friend. Anyways, he had another part of the war. Only if Percy knew what was really going on…No, this was only a son of Hades quest.

He heard a zap behind him and immediately folded the picture he was touching and slipped it in his pocket. He jumped away from his tree smoothly and looked up at the godly figure in front of him.

He bowed his head. "Lady Persephone, it's an honor." She looked curiously around her, looking at the withering trees that she clearly didn't approve of. Immediately, she waved her hand, letting an arrangement of flowers blossom around them. Daisies, roses, everything. And then she looked at him.

He looked at the dress that he knew his father had given her. It was a beautiful dress, filled with many blended colors that tickled the ground. It was an admirable dress, but he couldn't help but feel as if his mother should be in that dress rather than her. Then again, he also always believed his mother was too good for his father.

She looked at him seriously, as if she knew what he was thinking, but nodded her head in mutual agreement. "You should be lucky I came," She said flatly, "I was in the middle of planting a beautiful garden, _finally _a break from my mother, when you called." He nodded.

"And I thank you for that," He said to her. Her eyes narrowed, looking at him up and down. He didn't blame her – He barely recognized himself. He had changed so much.

"You've turned into a handsome man," She told him approvingly, "Shame, you would've been a great gardener rather then this ridiculous demigod business, with those nice hands. I have a nice flower shop not too far from here that would love a new hand, if your plan fails." He let a small smile appear on his lips. He was happy he was finally getting along with this woman. Maybe it really was because she saw him more maturely, but he hasn't changed, he just knows how to get what he wants nowadays.

"Yeah, but I don't think Father would accept that," He gave a fake laugh. She scuffed.

"Please, don't even t_alk _about your father. Last winter, I dragged a beautiful demigod to _my _garden. I mean, he was gorgeous. Not a year older thirteen, a son of Ares, I must say. He was more than happy to plant gardens for _me. _ And your father decided it would be pure fun to blast him to pieces!" She spat in disgust, "And then…" She went on in her story, talking about things he truly didn't care about.

"Anyways," She said finally, taking a deep breath, "Son of Hades." Never Nico. "What is my power to you? You have never acknowledged me over your father." Well, he thought to himself, maybe she wasn't a complete airhead after all.

"Your power is greater than my father's," He pointed out. Her nose wrinkled.

"Less ignorant you mean?" She corrected. When he nodded, she took a step toward him.

"I'm not a bargainer, demigod. I do not bargain. The last time I bargained I got sent to a palace in the Underworld," She told him, "I am not a fan of gambles or trust. I am not a fan of Hades himself. I merely go along with the consequences I set upon myself. Every winter I get sent there, and let these beautiful masterpieces die." She bent down on the ground to admire a small flower, and she looked at it like it was the most gorgeous thing she had ever set eyes on. He didn't see any beauty in it or anything, but maybe that was because he was the son of death.

"Me either," He agreed, "But sometimes you have to take chances." Her eyes leveled with his and she towered over him. He was sure for a moment that he might've insulted her and she was going to blast him right there, but then her eyes flashed to a look of beauty.

"Interesting. Every time you take a chance, you fail," She reminded him, "When you brought that boy back to the Underworld before you dipped him in The Styx, your father locked him up, yet you didn't give up. Your father could've killed you, but that didn't stop you from trying to convince him to get engaged in the war. He didn't see it, but I knew if he let you be the Great Hero, you still wouldn't have done what he said. You'd try to save the world and protect your father at the same time. I've never seen such a good heart in a son of Hades." He shrugged.

"I wanted acceptance, and I still want that, but I don't need it. I care about the people who do accept me more," He told her honestly, "And I think you understand that. Your mother annoys you, but you still love her, right?" Her lips pursed.

"You're his son. He isn't supposed to accept you. It's easier for him to be proud of your sister. He still expects a woman to be weak, so when he sees a woman strong, he loves her," She said, bitterness tainting her words, "But I do understand your thoughts, and that's why I'm going to be accept your offer. If you give what I want in return, of course." His eyes widened.

"Really? You'll accept it? Oh gods, I-" His voice stopped abruptly, trying to stop the child in him, "Thank you, my Lady. You will not be disappointed." She didn't smile, but merely started to walk away. He watched as she walked through the forest, but then with a whip she swerved back around with a warm smile on her face.

"Oh, and don't worry about that girl, son of Hades," She said this in a light relieving tone, "She already found a new Boy in The Tree."

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

Her mind was a thousand miles away when Pollux led the way silently through the trees. _The Ghost King?_ She imagined him on a throne, a crown on his head, overlooking what she always thought afterlife would look like. She couldn't imagine it. No, not him. She couldn't see him in a big palace with servants and the world bowing down to him. The thought disturbed her. Not Nico. Never Nico. He wasn't a bad person.

Maybe it wasn't like that though, she heard a small voice in her head say, maybe it was just a title.

No, she corrected herself, nothing is ever a title.

"So is it wrong for me to ask what we do next?" She asked in a long-gone voice, "Since apparently he is an evil dictator?" His eyebrows furrowed.

"Nah, the Ghost King isn't an evil dictator. He just…Controls the dead. Punishes them. Takes away their rights. Okay fine, maybe he is an evil dictator," He told her evenly, "But if it makes you feel better, Hades doesn't trust anybody to do anything. He's sorta a jerk. So no, Nico doesn't really do anything." It didn't make her feel better. If anything, it made her go green.

"Then what's the point?" She asked bitterly, "If he's just pretending to be some innocent kid?" He looked at her in disgust.

"Nobody is ever just a kid, Coco, you know that. Quit thinking like an adult and get your head in the game. Nico is still Nico. He's just a sixteen year old with more power than _almost_ every demigod that is alive," He told her thoughtfully, "Well, actually, maybe he _is_ the most powerful. I mean, Percy can do hurricanes and stuff, and use to be invincible, but I mean that's _all. _And I mean, yeah sure, that Jason kid is cool, but he's _Roman. _Everybody knows that the Romans are just a bunch of posers that think they're cool." She shook her head in distress.

"Sometimes I just wish I could wake up," She told him truthfully.

"Nah you don't," He argued, "You hated where you lived. Those mortals you lived with are the most mortaled-mortals that I have ever heard of. At least we're entertaining." He shared a small smile, and she couldn't help but smile back.

"But where are we going to find him?" She asked him, "I mean, what, go search Hades Palace? Yeah, like t_hat _is going to happen." It was supposed to be a joke but Pollux took it seriously.

"Well, actually, Percy did it many times," He told her thoughtfully, "More than anybody in history who wasn't didn't have a true connection to Hades." A dread fell in her.

"But it's a stupid idea," He agreed in the end, "No offense, but if he's in the Underworld right now, we have a bigger issue."

"What about Camp Half Blood?" She asked helpfully, "He did live there, right?"

"Sweetheart, he wouldn't go there," He said with an edge in his voice, "Chiron would've sent us a letter. Or, he better have sent us a letter. I've been out here for two weeks!" She couldn't imagine that. Pollux by himself for two weeks? Sounds unbearable.

"Well we can't just keep walking in the wilderness if it isn't going to help," She said to him, "We need a plan." His eyes looked at her curiously, as if she was an object rather then a plain girl.

"Well _you _are the one who talked to him so much. Surely, he's told you something about him?" He said, almost accusingly. She threw her hands in the air.

"Yeah, and I also thought he was a lonely homeless kid who had a bad life," She shot back at him, "I don't think I'm any help at a-" But then her lips stopped, and she did remember something. Something she once thought was small and not important, but now seemed like a thousand dollars.

_"It's two a.m.," She remembers her voice saying as she laid back on the tree branch under the winter stars, "I need to stop coming out here so late." His eyes stared at the moon thoughtfully. _

_ "Nah," He argued simply. He didn't need many words for her to understand him; one word can mean a thousand things. Her eyes looked at him hard, analyzing his life. How it was so calm at night, with a winter breeze. It seemed lonely sometimes, but it wasn't like he ever left. Something always kept him here. Maybe it was his calmness, or his mind, or maybe it was just one thought that kept him sane._

_ "Where do you go?" She asked him, "When you get lonely?" She saw him swallow. _

_ "What?" He asked again._

_ "Like, in your head. You know, everybody has that one place in their head where they go when everything collapses. Where do you go?" She asked him. His lips seemed to fall shut and she, at first, thought he wouldn't reply, like it was just another secret she didn't deserve, but then his lips parted._

_ "I see my sister," He told her in a small voice, "I see her." Her chest seemed to skip a beat. He has a sister, she said to herself in her head, he has a _sister. _That was one more thing that she thought she'd never learn about him. It was small, useless to most people, but to her it was priceless. _

"You okay over there?" She heard Pollux say as the memory replayed in her head, "Woo-Hooo." It wasn't until she saw a hand waving in her face that she looked up at him. His purple eyes flashed.

"Theres no point having you around if you keep going into these dazes," He told her coolly. She shook her head at him.

"Pollux, does Nico have a sister?" She asked him sharply. His hard face seem to fall into a depressing expression.

"She died," He told her, "A long time ago. Right when Nico found out who he was, actually. Kinda sad, if you ask me. She was the only person he had." The small hope that was boiling in her heart vanished.

"That's the only secret he's ever told me," She said outloud, "That he liked to see his sister when he was upset." He let out a loud groan.

"Oh, he wasn't lying," He said angrily, "He can see ghosts." Her head fell into her hands.

"But w_e _can't," She sighed, "This is hopeless!" He shook his head.

"Not really. No offense, but that wouldn't have helped anyways. He can see ghosts anywhere, he just has to do all his voodoo stuff and they're in front of him," Pollux told her, "But…Oh gods! Why didn't I think of this before..." He stopped suddenly, and this time he went into a daze.

"What?" She asked sharply, "Pollux, tell me-"

"He has a dog. I always saw him come up to her at camp whenever he was upset," He told me, "Well actually, more like a Hellhound." He pulled out whistle that was so glossy it looked like ice. "Percy gave this to me for emergencies when I left," He said, motioning to the whistle, she still not getting it, "When you blow it a hellhound is supposed to come. A friendly one I mean. And she knows Nico, she can find him."

"And…" Her eyes didn't look away from the whistle, "You didn't think of this before?" He shrugged.

"I was doing perfectly well with scenting trees," He told her honestly, "And then I found _you _and…well…" His voice disappeared as he looked at her, and he shrugged.

"So, what?" She said, hope filling her voice slowly, "You just…blow it? Or is there something you're supposed to say? And what is a hellhound? Is it like-" But then, before she could bother finishing her sentence, he blew the whistle.

It crushed upon itself, the ice melting in his own hands. There was an awful silence. But then suddenly, at a distance, there was a stampede. Slowly, she found herself backing behind Pollux.

"Pollux," She saw something huge in the trees, "What is tha-" It jumped from the trees before she could finish it, and she screamed as it landed only three feet away from them. Her eyes widened.

It's appearance was simple. It looks like an old black dog to her, except there was an issue. It was a dog made for a giant. It was huge – It was bigger than her bedroom in her parent's apartment. Many of the trees around them crashed down with a slam. Everything around them was getting torn apart, but yet Pollux didn't move. A huge monster was in front of her – That was a monster, right? – And she couldn't breathe.

"Pollux!" She said sharply in his ear, "Aren't you going to pull out your sword thing again or-" But his eyes laid flat.

"Hey, Mrs. O'Leary!" He reached toward her with bravery that Connie couldn't comprehend and scratched her ears, "Meet Christina!" The monster looked straight into her eyes and, when Connie was sure the thing was going to eat her, she reached out and gave Connie a kiss. Or, well, a shower of spit. Connie let out a gasp and fell against a tree.

She looked up at her. She looked friendly – Just like a pet. Except she was huge and should be eating them at the moment.

"Yeah, yeah, it's good to see you too," Pollux cooed as the hellhound rubbed up against him, "Yeah, you think Percy is a lying little demigod? I do too. He apparently forgot to tell me that you know where Nico is, didn't he?" The hellhound gave him a sad look, as if he truly understood Pollux's words.

"Yeah, so, can you help us?" Pollux asked the hellhound. Connie's body stopped shaking in fear and she looked at Pollux.

"Pollux, I don't think she understands-" But then in one motion, the hellhound bent her head down and scooped both of them up by her nose. Connie let out a scream as she tumbled down the animal, catching hands with Pollux before she could fall off. Pollux was ready, sitting on her like she was a horse. Just in time, Connie scrambled into position to ride the most terrible thing she had ever ridden.

"Lead the way, Mrs. O'Leary!" And then the hellhound went a million miles an hour, knocking down everything in her path.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

When Connie could open her eyes, breath, and feel Pollux, she felt her heartbeat begin again. She looked around herself again, realizing she was gripping Pollux's hand. She ripped away, blushing, but then saw what was in front of her.

"That…That _git._" It was a whole campsite in front of them. A nice wide tree, warm sleeping bags, crates of food and water. It was well built, with traps that were hazardous for anything smaller then Mrs. O'Leary. It had a successful fire place in the middle of everything. It looked like it had been going on for weeks, maybe even months. Her eyes started to dilate, trying to understand how he could've kept this place going while still in Manhattan.

_Maybe he wasn't there all the time, _She thought to herself, _Maybe he had two trees._

But still, anger came over her. She didn't think she could ever get angry at Nico, but suddenly she realized that he backstabbed her. He had a place, why didn't he invite her? He knew she was miserable. He knew that she would've left sometime. But yet it was like he didn't have faith in her. Like he didn't think she was strong enough to do it.

As she stood there, trying her best to digest the stricken scene in front of her, Pollux walked around the camp shouting Nico's name.

"Yoo-Whoo, Nicooooooooo," He screamed, "Where are you?" She looked around too, admiring his secret hideout.

"NICO! COME ON! WE FOUND YOU! SHOW YOURSELF!" He roared. But nothing came. Connie, who was numb, walked over to the fire pit and touched the coals in the middle.

They were hot.

"He was here recently," She said in a low voice, "Maybe he just went to go get something. Maybe we should stay here." But then she saw Pollux start to climb the tree. She watched as he disappeared within the branches. After a while, Pollux called her name.

"Connie," She knew it was serious if he said her real name, "You need to see this."

**AN: Cliffhanger:O**

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	7. Fear's Revenge

**Hope**

He heard her. He didn't imagine it, he told himself after a deluded pause, but he really heard her. And she was in his tree. Well, _one _of his trees.

He wasn't surprised to hear Pollux. The boy had been dying for a quest for ages. Any time anybody got a quest, he would rant around his cabin, spitting out curse words and angry slang that only Nico could hear. He knew he was at his tree – He practically left it there on purpose. He knew somebody would come trotting along, trying to find him, and maybe it was because he knew what it felt to feel like a failure, so he let his supplies stay just to make the the-already-failed-quester happy. Of course, he completely regretted that when he heard the hoarse voice say a word.

It felt like a thousand years passed when he heard her voice. There was a reason he didn't bring her along. She had a chance. She didn't know what it was like to lose everybody she had. She thought she did, but she didn't. And maybe it was a little selfish for Nico to assume that, but if she just stayed a little longer he knew she would get use to that city. She would become a mundane and go to school and make real friends and finally have a normal mortal-like life. She would have a job, and yes, get a boyfriend that wasn't completely life-hazardous for her, maybe have a few kids, and yeah, go through some problems along the way, but she would never have to see true horrors. The things he wished he never saw. He could never take away her chance of happiness.

Plus, the whole business of her being wanted by half of the Underworld. You know, that kinda caused a problem too.

But he never thought that Pollux, of all people, would find her. He didn't expect her to truly leave everything that she had to find him. He was sickened on what Pollux did to her. Letting her come along, destroying her life, just for a boy that would never be found, and when did it would be too late. And, of course, that's the only risk if nobody finds her. Only the gods knows who can find her, and that gave him chills. It wasn't too long ago that he was telling Jarr to leave her alone. That she was stuck in that New York City bubble. Now she was out in about, _asking _herself to get killed.

These thoughts ran through his head in only two seconds. Suddenly, before his thoughts could delay him any longer, he ran to the top of his tree, and pulled out a stick.

What he was about to do was a technique he got from an ancient tree nymph. If he used that mere stick to carve words in that tree, the words would appear on another tree as communication. He put spells on the trees, many of them at a time. He knew that she would be climbing the branches, since that was what she did. She was The Girl in The Tree.

Suddenly, as he carved into the tree, he laughed. Persephone told him that she had a new Boy in The Tree, but that was a load of crap. Nobody but him could ever be the Boy in the Tree. Just like nobody but him could be the true Ghost King.

He wrote what he needed. He expected her to read it. He didn't expect her to write back.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

It took only two seconds for Connie to get at the top of the tree. At first, she didn't even see what Pollux was looking at. She just saw the horrified look on his face. His face delayed her into time, trying to think of what could possibly make that face, until she turned toward the bark.

Words were being carved out. Right in front of them. It wasn't just there – You could truly see it carving. First a 'T' and then an 'H' and then suddenly whole words were being carved out. It wasn't until it was fully written that she finally read it together.

_This is my tree. _

All the saliva in her mouth disappeared. Was it magically supposed to do that when somebody came near? Or was he truly writing this, a thousand miles away, in another tree she didn't know existed? She didn't hear Pollux's curse words flying out of his mouth like stars in the sky. She just felt herself crack a branch, and suddenly her fingers were carving back under it.

"What are you-" But then he saw what she was writing.

_I know, you said that to me before._

That was the only way she could tell. To see if she was truly talking to Nico. At first, Pollux just stood there, confused, until he tried taking the stick.

"LET ME TALK TO THE SCOUNDRAL! LET ME TALK TO THE LYING, SCHEMING-" But then the words started carving again into the tree and he stopped moving completely. She couldn't believe her eyes. He was talking to her…He was alive…He was fine. She knew she should've been ready for this, saying she went out on this whole adventure trying to find him, but it was like now that she finally was speaking, she couldn't speak at all.

His words were simple though.

_Connie._

Her teeth gritted, not even fighting Pollux when he took the stick. She didn't stop him from writing vulgar words toward Nico, because she was so numb. He knew now that she was out here. He would find her, she told herself, and he would bring her along.

She was nearly out in one of her dazes, when suddenly she saw a flash of black. In front of her, her eyes seemed to dialate. The tree…It was growing into black flames. _Black Flames. _ It was just shredding there, out of know where…and she watched. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the weird curse, until Pollux grabbed her by the waist and started swinging down the tree.

He pounded her to the ground. She was still at a daze.

"Get up!" He screamed, "Get up! The place is in flames! CONNIE, DO YOU HEAR ME?" She blinked. And finally saw what the black fire would cause.

She grabbed him by the arm and they started running. Past the blazing tree, toward the only area they haven't seen.

"No!" Pollux said sharply, as he did an abrupt stop, making her tumble back "We should go back—Go the way we came. Maybe he saw us from there." But Connie objected.

"He'snot in there ," She said bitterly, her eyes still seeing his words in the back of her head, "_Trust me._" Pollux looked at her half-heartedly. She knew he was cautious about her, but he trusted her. His lips formed a thin line.

"Fine," He said as he looked back at the billowing smoke, coming towards them, "But if I die, I'll kill you Celeste."

**(Imagine three dashes)**

They were supposed to come the other way. _Away from the smoke, not towards it. _ He was in the highest branch at the highest tree in his area. He could see them running toward his spot, his eyes widening. They ran from the chasing fire like true heroes. He shook his head, his eyes turning to slits. He hated heroes, he bitterly hated them, because he wasn't worried about them seeing him – He could get away by a snap of the finger. It was everything past the tree he was in that they wouldn't be able to survive in. He knew Pollux pretty well, and he was a horrible fighter compared to most people at camp. Sure, he can tackle a monster or two, but not what's in this forest.

They stopped coincidentally at his tree panting. He couldn't help but get held up on looking at Connie. She was pretty, as always. _No not pretty, _a voice interrupted in his mind interrupted, _Beautiful. _But, she would've been better with him. She wouldn't have to look so tired, so warn out. He could've made this a paradise. He could've made this better if the situation was possible. But it wasn't.

Wincing, trying not to think about what he was about to do, he muttered under his breath, "Warriors, breathe above the ground. Do not attack. Spread the message. _Go home._"

**(Imagine three dashes)**

His hand was wrapped around her arm so tightly it was painful. She could barely keep up with his legs when he started to bolt away. She heard him cursing under his breath wildly, mostly at Nico. After the smoke started to disappear away from them, she tugged away.

"STOP!" She screamed, coughing "I…I can't breathe." He stopped, slightly annoyed, but turned into a coughing fit as well. Her lungs felt like fire, and she knew he felt the same. Their eyes connected briefly, sharing the same tired look. She held onto her knees and looked up. It was the tallest tree she has seen yet, with leaves growing uncontrollably. It fascinated her for a moment.

"Man, that's a huge tree," She whispered.

"Huh?" Pollux barked loudly. She motioned toward the tree.

"It's-"

"Oh god," Pollux moaned. Her eyes shot toward him. She didn't know what to expect. What next? First the words of the son of Hades, then a black fire, what could possibly be next that was worse?

But then she realized that the Ghost King had taken action.

There were skeletons growing from the ground to the right of him. Their hands clawing out, like they were zombies. She felt herself stumbling back, her back hitting the large trunk of the tree.

"P—Pollux," She stumbled, "Pollux!" He was at awe.

"Nico…" She heard him murmur, "Nico, what have you done?" Nico did this. Nico was making dead people crawl from the ground. Nico was trying to get her killed.

_No,_ a stern voice overrode her head, _He would never do that._

But she noticed she had a bigger issue. He wasn't backing away. He was just staring at them. Like he was going to give up. But he wouldn't. She wouldn't let him.

"POLLUX! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" She took a dangerous step in front of him, pushing him back. But just as she did, she fell toward the skeletons, which were only a few feet away. She fell beneath them, and they crowded in.

Suddenly, many things happened at once. At first, she saw skeletons reaching for her in excitement, but then the scene changed.

She was back in her nightmares. The skeletons disappeared, and there was God standing over her. Except, in reality, God seemed more like Satin. He looked scary, as if she was something to torture rather then something to cherish. He was reaching for her.

"I told you to go home," He said, his voice hurting her ears like hot lava, "Go home. Go home. _Go home." _ He reached for her, picking her up, shaking her. It was like she was sleeping again. Except he was hurting her. He wasn't God, she realized, he was the opposite. She felt hopeless. Like every bit of life was ripped away from her.

His voice was echoing in her head maddening. _Go home. Go home. Go home._

Her nightmares had finally taken reality.

Far away, she heard herself screaming. Screaming for Nico. Not because she was scared, or because she was vulnerable, but because it was the only thing that came in her head.

She felt herself ripped away from Satin, her eyelids folding down, but she was still crying. She felt alone. She felt hopeless. She felt like every nightmare she had ever had was flaming through her body like poison, flashing behind her eyes second by second, and she couldn't help but bawl. She felt wetness come down her cheeks.

But hot fingers intertwined with her's, the fingers grabbing her tightly, ripping her away from the visions she was seeing. It wasn't soft and thin like Nico's. It was rough but comforting.

"It's okay. I'm here," A voice said loudly, interrupting her nightmares, "I'm here. You're safe." But the words meant nothing. She was still crying. She was still screaming. She still felt like she was going through something worse than death. She still felt like her thread was snipping.

"Shh, I'm not going to leave you. I'm not going to let you go," The voice kept telling her. But her voice continued, screaming for Nico, screaming for somebody who'd never come.

"You have to stay strong," The voice said roughly, "You can't do this, Connie. I know it's hard, but you have to keep going. You have to hold on." She opened her eyes slowly, looking into bright purple eyes. She didn't know why, but he was crying too. Did he see the same? Did he see her nightmares?

"I know Nico's not with you," He told her, smothering her to his chest, "But I felt just like this, Connie. When my brother died, and nobody was there…" His voice choked, "I know how it feels to lose somebody. I understand." Her crying soothed as she realized that she was in somebody's arms. Nobody was going to leave her.

"It's going to be okay. " And it was those five words that brought her back to reality fully. Because nobody, not even Nico, has ever said that to her. It was a sentence that was unfamiliar to her, but yet seemed so sincere. She clung to his chest, even though she had no right to, and let him cling onto her as well. And for the first time in her life, she felt like it _was _going to be okay. It wasn't _maybe _going to be okay, it _would _be okay.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

She didn't know when they let go of each other. Minutes, hours, days? The time was unknown. She just knew that her sobbing had stopped and the flashes behind her eyes stopped playing like memories. He didn't look at her when he let go, he just walked up and left, saying something about seeing if all of Nico's food was burned.

But she knew it wasn't that. He just needed to leave. To breathe finally. To collect their life again, because she knew he thought she wouldn't get out of it. That she would stay in that nightmare forever. That she would die in her own sorrow.

She let herself shake. What were her friends doing in New York City, she wondered? Would they be in ballet class? Hitting on people like Jace Rodgers? Getting coffee at starbucks and watch as her dad had affairs? Was it any different without her? She wondered if they even bothered looking for her, or if they just used her name at school for attention.

She closed her eyes again, breathing. She had seen it, she said to herself. She had really seen all those nightmares, and nobody came for her. Except for Pollux. Whenever Nico was, he didn't come.

"He didn't come," She said out loud, not caring anymore about being quiet in this forest. There was nobody out here to help her except for Pollux, so why care about keeping secrets? Nico deserted her. How was she supposed to forgive that?

But just when she thought she was alone, Pollux came over with food. She looked at the large stock in his hands, and she couldn't help but notice he wouldn't look at her.

"Most of it is burnt," He mumbled as he sat next to her, "But it's edible. And I brought some sleeping bags and water and stuff. The stuff that didn't get destroyed." She looked at the stock and nodded. She saw the disgust in his eyes.

"How could somebody do this?" She heard him say, "How could somebody…destroy a forest?" She didn't have an answer. She was half surprised for Pollux to say this. He didn't look like the type to care about wildlife, but then again, he was really into trees.

"It was a hundred and forty eight year old wild oak," He said automatically, "Twenty eight feet and six and a half inches. Three liters of sap in the middle, with five bird houses. Roots were across over five feet." She looked at him in awe. He was still staring at his stock, but she knew he was in something worse than distress.

"How do you know that?" She asked in a small voice. His purple eyes looked up at her, more powerful than ever.

"I'm the son of Dionysus," He shrugged, "I know stupid things nobody cares about. How far a tree can grow, how old it is, how many insects live inside it, how many people have touched it, how tall it reaches toward the sky?" She rolled her eyes playfully, trying to bring some humor.

"It's not useless," She told him, "I mean,honestly, you know how many stupid mortals abuse trees because they don't see the beauty? I mean, somebody has to see the beauty." He looked up at her, tears in his eyes, something she still didn't imagine to see.

"What did you see?" He went straight to the point, "When those skeletons attacked you?" At first, her mouth was left open.

"God," She said, after a dry pause, "Satin. Both. I don't know." Her eyes tried her hardest to cling into his.

"What about you?" She asked. At first, he was was sure for a moment he wouldn't tell her, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he wasn't sure if he should.

"The death of my brother, replaying in my head," He mumbled finally, "I snapped out of it before you though." She swallowed thickly.

"What was it, exactly?" Her lips quivered, "What I saw?"

"Your worst nightmares. Everything you fear. The son of Hades's wrath." She felt like she couldn't breathe.

"Nico did it," She whispered to herself, "It was really him." Pollux didn't rub it in her face like she expected him to do, but merely nodded.

"I'm…I'm really sorry?" He said gently, though obviously unfamiliar with what to say. She shrugged, trying to retain the tears.

"We can't disappoint them," She said finally, after an awful silence, "It doesn't matter what they did to us. Leave us. Abandon us. They taught us to be strong, we have to keep going. We can't let them change that." At first, a flash hit across Pollux's eyes.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked her. She was silent, debating.

"I used to not believe in hope," She told him honestly, "But now I realized, that's really the only thing we have left."

**(Imagine three dashes)**

Nico sat in the tallest tree, looking down at them as night fell. He told himself that he shouldn't leave because of the risk that they would see him, but the real truth was that he couldn't rip his eyes away from him after she screamed his name. He had watched her as she screamed and cried and begged for him and he knew, out of all the horrible things he has seen, horrible deaths, horrors of monsters, his family, _that_ was one of the things he would never forget. The one girl he loved, begging for him, but him not allowed to come near her.

The whole point in it was to get her to leave. To scare her enough to leave. But apparently that didn't work. Only if she knew it was just as hard to watch as it was to go through it…

He should've been grateful that they decided to just sleep on the ground, rather than the tree. But really, he couldn't find himself to be grateful. The beautiful girl below him was sharing secrets with a boy that she barely knew. Secrets that Nico didn't even know. It started with the conversation with the hope, and then when it came down to it, things just started to get worse.

"Truth or dare?" He heard her voice ask below him.

"Am I able to do a dare?"

"Nope," She said, with a reluctant laugh, "Truth or truth?" It was stupid things they asked. Their favorite color, their biggest fear, just anything to get them away from the thoughts about what happened. He knew that. He knew he should finally be happy that Pollux was talking to her, trying to heal her, help her. But he would never get the image away from his eyes of Pollux holding her. Gripping her hand. Promising her safety. Because even though Nico had issues and he has been from hell and back (literally) and he had lost his sister in a tragic way and he still kisses his dad's butt to get information and he still had issues between heroism and cowardice, he would always protect her. No matter what.

He had lost everybody he knew to death; he wouldn't let that become an issue between them. Death couldn't come against them. A heartbeat or not, he wouldn't make his father's mistake.

He closed his eyes and took a shallow breath. It was moments like this when he wondered how he ever got through everything in his life. Was it what Connie had said – Hope?

But he knew things she didn't. He knew things that would determine her fate. He knew things that changed her impact on the world. She, in a way, was more powerful than any demigod. And yet she wasn't even a demigod.

And she would never know it unless somebody tells her. Or, unless some idiot (Pollux) gets her in a predicament where it comes out in the worst way. You know, either way that'll scar her.

He watched them fall asleep, too close to each other he thought, their sleepingbags overflowing against each other. He was about to go to sleep himself, either that or take his chance in walking away, but then he saw Pollux stir. Pollux got up on his knees and pulled what looked like a hair out of Connie's face. Pollux stared at her for a moment, the second person to ever admire her beauty.

Nico watched him as Pollux shook his head.

"You better hope I don't find you son of Hades," He heard him clearly, as if he knew that Nico was keeping an eye on them, "Because if I find you, I _will _kill you." Memories seemed to go through Nico's eyes. Pollux falling in love with Silena, trying to risk her life for her, acting just as he did to Connie, and yet she ended up dead. He shook his head in pity, his eyes darker than death itself.

"Just like Percy always said," Nico said, "You were never rational after Castor died."

**(Imagine three dashes)**

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	8. 1945

**Change**

(1945)

She sat in the dungeon silently. She could hear people crying, people moaning, people screaming, but she sat there on her couch with elegance. She shifted her black gloves, which were stained with her own blood, off her fingers and laid them next to her. It seemed like ages, but she knew it was going to be okay, so when The Lord of the Dead ran down the cement steps toward her, she didn't jump up to him like any other mistress would. She sat there just as silently, waiting for him to come to her. She sat there like a lady.

"I'm leaving Persephone!" His voice rang loudly like a child at Christmas, "She's upstairs right now, packing!" She looked up at him as he ran toward her, lifting her up from the uncomfortable couch.

"We can be together," He said to her, his hands gripping her before she could speak, "Fully. Finally." She remembered it wasn't too long ago that he was sitting next to her at a hotel begging her to let him hide her, or else she would die. It seemed like a thousand years ago, with her children running around her with glee and the man she deep down wished would one day say this next to her. But it didn't feel like that now.

"But I'm dead," She said this casually, as if she talking about taking a new street, "I can't be with you now that I'm dead." He shook his head.

"No, I looked at the ancient laws, my love. As long as you don't leave the Underworld, you can stay with me," His voice longed. Her eyes tried to find his, but with him so happy in glee it was impossible.

"But my children…" Her voice drawled. He shook his head.

"They're fine. They'll come out….sometime," He told her, "They're safe, Maria. Right now, they don't matter though. It's about us. It's about you staying with me, so I can finally be with you." The moment was perfect – Priceless really – But…

"I can't," She said after a long moment, "It's not right." She unwrapped herself from him and took a step back.

"Not…_right_?" He asked. There was an edge in his voice, but she knew he expected it a little bit.

"It's cheating death me staying with you," She reminded him lightly, "I do not want to teach my children that." She could feel his anger.

"Maria, cheating death would be if you decided _not _to die. You died, you're in the Underworld," He reminded her, happiness dripping back in, "And now we can be together. I can make you the most beautiful palace." She shook her head still.

"No," She told him sternly, "Everybody else has to stand in front of the court. You told me that. I have to do that too, then."

"Staying with me is not an option at the court, beautiful."

"My children will think I'm a bad role model if I do not."

"Maria," He said her name impatiently, "When the children come to the Underworld to serve me during their life – And they will – You can tell them all you want. But if you don't do this, you'll _never _see them again." The feeling pained her, she could admit that, but there had to be another way.

"No, they cannot be taught that just because they have _you_ that they can do whatever they want," She said gently to him after thinking about it, "It's not right." At first, The Lord of the Dead was silent.

"Maria, I love you. I am the only person who can make forever perfect," He told her honestly, regaining his posture, "You can sit in front of that court…But whatever they sentence you…will never be better then what I can give you." She took a deep breath.

"Maria, you saw what they did," The Lord of the Dead continued slowly, bitterly "Those _gods_. You shouldn't _have _to stand at the court. You didn't deserve that." Still, she didn't speak.

"I know," She said, tears filled spreading into her eyes finally and she smiled at him, a warm loving smile, "But nobody does. And I have a plan." His eyes found her's, and he tried reading them for a moment but failed. _It wasn't about the court_, he realized.

"What do you want so bad, my love?" He asked sadly. She took a deep breath.

"The Isles of the Blessed," She told him, expecting a horrible reaction. Suddenly, a relieved sound seemed to fly out of Hades mouth. He didn't understand, she thought immediately, he thought she wanted this in greed.

"Fine," He said, happily, "I'll get you there by tomorrow morning. I'll make sure there is a beautiful palace _there _then. It'll be a little harder visiting but-"

"No, I want to do this naturally," She interrupted, "I want to be reincarnated." At first, Hades was silent.

"Maria-"

"No, my Lord, listen. I want to do it again. Not in selfishness, but…I love the world," She told him, "I want to see my children again, to breath the Italian air, to…Do everything." His eyes narrowed.

"Maria, when you reincarnate, you are not y_ou _again. You don't remember who you are, you aren't the same person, you do not have the same personality, you just have the same soul. That's it," He told her harshly, "That's a_ll." _She understood that.

"I know," She said after a sigh, "Will you support this?" He was silent.

"Hades," She murmured, finding his hands, "I am meant to go again. I _know that. _And you can stay with Persephone-"

"I don't love Persephone!"

"I want this," She said in a soft voice, "I trust, until I get back, you'll take care of my children. You'll help them, you'll love them." He shook his head.

"We're at a w_ar _Maria, it is not a good time to reincarnate," He argued with her, "Actually, the _best _thing would to stay with _me._" She gave him a small laugh.

"I love you, and that's why I am telling you that I need to go," Maria told him, "I'm not meant to just _sit _here. I'm not meant to do nothing. You told me you loved me because of my will to live right. I'm trying to live." He mumbled something harsh under his breath in Greek.

"_I take that back_!" He snapped, as if that was going to change anything, "I take it back Maria! Please, stay with me. Just stay." She was silent, meaning she made her decision.

"MARIA!" He screamed after a long silence, "Maria, no, just no!" She didn't respond.

"You care about _me _don't you?" He asked selfishly, "What about _me?" _

"You'll be fine," She said, surprisingly steady. His eyes were in flames, but she still looked at them, taming them.

"Fine," He growled angrily, "But since this isn't about the prize, I'll agree only if you agree to stay with me after you finish your lives. Stay here, with me, forever." She was silent, thinking about it.

"Fine," She told him in a small voice, squeezing his hand, "Forever."

**(Imagine three dashes)**

Connie's eyes were heavy when she woke up. Usually she woke up by a noise, or a bright light, or a bad dream, but this time she was awoken by a feeling. A feeling she had saying to wake up _right now_. Any other day, she would've probably ignored it, but it seemed so…Essential. She fought her eyelids with every ounce of energy she had, and looked in front of her. At first everything was a haze, but then she realized how close she was to Pollux. It wouldn't have bothered her if they weren't nose to nose, but since they were, she found herself scrambling back. She nearly got tangled in her own sleeping bag turning over, and at first she struggled with that, until she looked in front of her, and she forgot about everything.

He was there. Just standing in front of her. Suddenly, she realized what had waked her up. _Him. _

At first, she could only digest the scene. There he was, just staring at her. How? She didn't know. Maybe she was still asleep. Maybe it was a hallucination. But yet he was there, only about five feet away. His eyes weren't on her, but they looked so deep. Other than that though, he looked normal. With black jeans and a black undershirt. He looked, if this was reality, as beautiful as always. As if he wasn't in the wilderness fighting for his life. She, on the other hand, probably looked like a gremlin.

You'd think that after you were looking for somebody so hard that the reaction would be immediate, but in all honesty, it wasn't. If anything, the delay was timeless. She was trying to find him, but yet he found her. How could this happen?

It wasn't until she heard a voice beside her that she had finally gotten out her daze.

"_You." _ Connie's body moved finally, untangling herself from her sleeping bag, not even thinking about her doubts about The Ghost King, or what he had done to her, and felt herself try running towards him. In only a second though, her feet seized. She tried her hardest to move, but realized her feet were paralyzed. She looked down.

Black stone was curling up on her feet, destroying the ability to move. Her eyes widened.

"Nico," Her voice was late, "Nico, what are you-" She finally realized what he was looking at.

"Nico!" Her voice kept trying to say his name, but he wouldn't acknowledge her, "Nico! I-" Her eyes got distracted by his. His eyes were somewhere else, somewhere direct. She followed his eyes immediately.

He was looking at Pollux. Her head turned toward Pollux, and he was already out of his sleeping bag, with a long sword dangling in his hand.

"Well isn't it the boy who ran away," Pollux spat. At first, she didn't understand why there would be a sword in his hand.

"Pollux, put that away! H-He needs to go to your camp thing!" She snapped quickly, her heart racing like a humming bird, "Nico! NICO! Look at me! Look at…" Her voice seemed to disappear. It was then that all her memories came back to her. For the last two days. What he had done to her. His silence wrestled into her head, and for the first time she didn't know if she wanted to see his eyes. She was scared of them. She was scared she wouldn't see what she expected. That she wouldn't see love or need or remorse. That he was somebody she didn't know.

"Nico…" Her lips whispered.

"Pollux," Nico took a step toward him, his lips curling, "You don't know the damage you've done." Pollux shook his head.

"What _damage?" _He asked in disgust, "You're the one who made damage! You decided to disappear off the earth! I would beg you to come back to Camp Half-Blood, but honestly, I don't understand why they'd want you." Connie was confused. Completely and utterly confused. She thought Pollux wanted him back. She thought that's why he had been searching for him so hard. Unless…Something changed. Something he didn't tell her.

"You corrupted a mortal," Nico spat, taking a lethal step, "A mortal who had no need to know about anything. She was safe where she was. She was safe." Pollux's eyes narrowed.

"Her?" He spat, "You're worried about _her?" _He pointed at her as if she was an animal. "She can already see through the mist," He told him, "It was a matter of time. And anyways, you were the one hanging out with her all the time. You didn't think t_hat _was dangerous?" Nico's face twisted, and Connie was too horrified to speak. What was happening?

"The Little Girl lived fine. She would've done fine. I left her here for a reason," Nico said, his voice hissy. Pollux rose his sword.

"Fine, put the Little Girl back," He said, sarcasm rising in his tone, "It's not like she matters to you anyways." _Little Girl. _The name was starting to bother her.

"Well, I can't now, can I?" Nico said coolly, "Now she is in danger." Pollux's eyes narrowed. At first, she thought they were talking about the same thing. A danger she didn't know of. But then, when she compared their eyes, she saw they were talking about two different things. Two things that's she thought Pollux didn't see himself.

"Truth is better than being lied to. Go on, tell her," Pollux motioned toward her, "Tell her everything. She already knows who you are. She already knows what you can do. And yet, she actually cares about you still. You know, you're the most insensitive brat I've ever met, you know that?" He was getting more angry, "You obviously knew we were out here, you obviously…" But then his voice stopped, and his eyes went a million miles away. He looked up at the tree, which seemed so much closer to them now.

"You were here all along…" he said out loud, in awe, "You were watching us." Suddenly, Connie felt alive again.

"You heard me scream for you," She said, her voice surprisingly steady, "I begged for you." She knew now that Nico was listening to her.

"I couldn't. One day, you'll-"

"NO!" Her voice fell alive, "I needed you, and you left out of the blue. I tried searching for you, and you didn't come out. And then you sent those—Those t_hings came after me. _And I begged for you. I screamed for you. And yet you…You didn't care." His eyes fell to the ground.

"I always care," He murmured.

"No, you don't," Pollux scuffed, raising his sword, "You don't care about anybody. Nobody expects you to, saying you're the son of Hades. I'm not even going to ask you to go back to Camp Half-Blood. You don't deserve to be on this earth. You deserve to be on the place you-" As if Nico was expecting his next move, a black stone swifted into the air like magic, knocking the sword out of his hand, falling way behind him. Pollux's face drained.

"Nico…" She said in objection. But Nico's eyes were back on Pollux again.

"I think y_ou _should go back to Camp Half-Blood," Nico didn't say this coolly, "You made enough trouble."

"Hell I'm going back to that-"

"Yes, you are," His voice was so demanding that it even gave Connie chills, "You will go, before I…" A victorious smile reappeared onto Pollux's lips.

"Make me?" Pollux finished, "I don't think you can, remember? The new magic? Nobody can be forced back into Camp Half-Blood. It's to prevent creatures from…_Your _land from coming. Things like you." For the first time, Connie was actually interested in this camp-place. It was to train demigods, she remembered Pollux telling her, but what else.

"You know, I don't really like heroes like you," Nico's anger was growing as well, "Heroes that think they can run the world but yet don't even know about heroism. You know what a hero is, son of Dionysus? It's somebody who puts others in front of them. Who doesn't _have _to think about what they're going to do. You don't have that, you aren't a real hero. You just think you are to make yourself feel better." Nausea was boiling in Connie's stomach. The long-going sentences coming out of Nico's mouth was starting to overwhelm her. The Nico she knew didn't talk. The Nico she knew didn't have to say what he needed to say.

"And you think you're one of those?" Pollux gave a cold laugh, but she couldn't help but realize how vulnerable he looked, "You completely attacked a girl who is in love with you." Redness flushed her face immediately. "You hurt the only person who actually cared. And now what, you're going to leave her in the dust again, aren't you? Just thinking I'll let you string her along?" Nico shook his head slowly.

"No, she's coming with you now," His voice trembled slowly. Connie's eyes widened. Pollux huffed.

"You're just saying that," Pollux said, "You don't mean that." Nico nodded.

"No, I do," He told him, "She isn't safe with you. She isn't safe with any of you." Pollux shook his head.

"She's going to go back to Camp Half-Blood when I tell them the truth. How you backstabbed all of us. When you backstabbed Percy, your _only _friend," Pollux said, his voice beginning to taunt. But it seemed as if Nico only got one part of that.

"She can't go back to Camp Half-Blood," He told him sternly, "She won't. I won't let you." She saw flames appear in Nico's eyes. She couldn 't help but feel hurt. He wasn't paying attention to her.

"What about me? _My feelings?" _Her voice rose higher then both of them, "It's my decision where I go! I'm not an animal!" She didn't know where her voice had come from, but there it was. Layed out in front of them. Pollux stared at her, and Nico stared behind her.

"You're not an animal, exactly," Nico said, before Pollux could speak, "That's all you will be there, love. An animal. An animal they'll stare at and judge and assume, because you're mortal." She couldn 't even digest that herself. She could only look bat Pollux. His purple eyes seemed so dangerous.

"What are you t_alking about?" _He growled, "There are a number of mortals there! Look at Rachel! She's a mortal and she's ruling that place." Nico's face clenched together.

"You," He repeated, "Don't know what you've done, boy." She noticed how Pollux was flickering his eyes back at his sword for a moment, trying to see if taking the chance was worth it. She wanted to tell him it wasn't.

"You're only saying that because you're an outsider yourself. If she had the choice, she wouldn't pick you. You lied to her. You tricked her. Have you seen her at all since you popped out of your pretty little tree?" Pollux asked tauntingly, "Have you told her the truth? Have you apologized to her, since she is your top priority and all? I don't think so."

"I'll have time for that later," Nico promised, and she knew he was talking to her that time. Pollux shook his head.

"No," He told him firmly, "You won't." A horrible feeling flooded through Connie, and she knew if Nico wasn't binding her to the ground that she would've fallen to her knees.

"Don't tell me what I will or won't," Nico told him sternly, "You think you're better than me, but you're not." Pollux's nose flared.

"You're just like the rest of them. Be the leader of one war, and you think you rule the world," Pollux started to spit, and she saw Nico turn red in anger, "You, Annabeth, Percy-" Suddenly, Nico was directly in front of Pollux, a knife made of black stone at his throat.

"Don't _ever _insult Percy Jackson in front of _me," _Nico said. Suddenly, as Nico stared into his eyes, she saw how he was losing himself. His eyes swirled into Pollux's, and Pollux started to twitch.

"St—Stop that! Stop doing that!" He screamed, and Connie wondered what he was doing, "What are you-"

"STOP TOUCHING HIM!" Connie didn't know where her loud voice came from, but it apparently came out of know where. Suddenly, in an instant, Nico let go, letting Pollux fall onto his knees panting. But she wasn't looking at Pollux, she was looking at Nico. He was panting to, a horrified look in his eyes like he didn't know what happened. Like he didn't know what he had just done.

"You're so much better than that," Connie said quietly. Suddenly, the stone around her feet vanished. She didn't know why she was walking toward him, but she was. Immediately, Nico met her half way and wrapped his fingers on her's. The cold, thin fingers twisted into her's tightly, as if he needed to hold onto her more than she needed to hold onto him. She couldn't help but compare Pollux's is to his. She felt so much within Nico, the cold tenderness, but yet with Pollux she felt warmth, she felt trust.

"Come on," Nico whispered into her ear, his lips touching, "I'll explain everything." But her eyes stared in front of her, unable to move.

She didn't understand why she couldn't just pull Nico away from the scene, and leave Pollux there. She didn't want to lose him again, but yet Pollux was the one that stopped her. Anybody else, she would've walked away but Pollux…A feeling she didn't know seemed to evolve in her. _Hope_. Something she never had. Something nobody else could ever give her. She heard his words again, _It's going to be okay. _She never heard that come from Nico before. She never felt stability with him; she never felt like her present life, hell or not, had an ability to satisfy her when he was in it.

Because Nico brought _change. _Something she always believed that she needed so bad. Something that she thought was best for her. But now, when everything was alright, and she truly believed was going to be okay, she didn't know if she could leave.

"But…" Her voice was so little, like she was truly the little girl they called her. She could finish her sentence in so many ways, while staring at Pollux's still-twitching body. A flash of memories hit her, good and bad with Pollux in them.

Suddenly, she felt Nico pull her to him. His lips, still reluctant, touched her immediately, as if reminding her who he was, and for just a moment, she remembered. He hadn't changed. Not at all. She just didn't know everything. Her lips didn't touch back, but he ripped away gently, no pain on his face.

"Follow me," He said, and she could hear the desperateness in his voice, as if he was a child who missed home.

**AN: Thank you for reviewing secret lover (and no, I won't tell you my secrets…yet ;P ), ****suitcasexDquesera, ****StarStruck99, Singer24. You don't understand what reviews do to my stomach It's like little bitty butterflies flying. Please, review. It means everything, every last one. It's my only motivation for writing nowadays (~going in denial about my horrible writing~). So please, the more reviews the quicker I update. And yes, I know its hard, I've been there, but theres a good reward in the end;) It can be one word or a thousand, doesn't matter. **


	9. The Consequences

Stories to Tell

Pollux's body was still twitching when he woke up. At first, when he woke up, he couldn't find a reason why he had fallen asleep. By the light shining through his eyelids he could tell it wasn't morning, or night. He could've almost made himself believe that he fell asleep for a short nap, if his whole body wasn't trembling. From head to toe his body was sore, his nerves still feeling like fire. He was sure he'd never be able to wake up again. He tried moving his arm, with an immediate surge of fire ripping through his veins. He let out a yelp. _Nope_, he told himself, he'd never be able to stand up. He would never be able to eat or poop or even open his eyes. He could barely breathe. Yep, Pollux was never going to be able to use his body again. Of course, that was until somebody decided to occupant him.

"GET UP!" His whole body sprung up immediately, as if on command, almost letting out a scream. His eyes were extremely blurry, he couldn't see what was in front of him, but a voice echoed in his ears loudly.

"GET UP! I TOLD YOU TO GET UP!" Before he could obey the commander, he felt his shirt curl up into somebody's fingers and he was thrown across a grassy texture. His eyes, still fuzzy, tried to see what was going on. All he saw was a huge block coming toward him.

The invader picked him up like he was a ragdoll, and banged him against a tree. Pain sprung down his spine, making him groan. It was then that he started to remember. Where he was, what had happened, how he passed out.

"LET GO OF ME!" Pollux screamed finally, clawing at the person, "GET OFF-"

"WHERE IS HE?" The person, a boy probably, yelled in his face, "I KNOW YOU KNOW WHERE HE IS!" Finally, his vision started to come back. His breath sucked in. In front of him, a guy who looked eightoon or nineteen, was, well, trying to kill him it seemed. He was short, yes, but he was huge at the same time. He had the body of an ox. He looked familiar for some reason, with those large brown eyes and that curvy brown hair, but he didn't care enough to look into it.

"What are you talking about, you freak?" Pollux screamed in agony, "I don't even know who you are!" His fingers itched for his sword, but then he felt the empty satchel, and he started to remember the most recent scene before he went down. That stupid kid ruining everything, and Connie screaming, and him blacking out. _Where are they? _He asked himself, as he tried to look around but this stupid kid was blocking his vision.

"THE BOY!" Spit flew from the boy's mouth as he screamed, "WHERE'D HE GO?" He banged his head against the tree repeatedly, making stars form in Pollux's vision. Pollux gasped loudly, his lungs tight.

"HOW WOULD I KNOW?" Pollux managed to scream. The banging stopped, letting Pollux take in a gasp of air, but then the boy's knuckles folded against Pollux's throat. He gagged.

"I'll ask calmly," The boy said in a small, cold voice, "What happened to the boy?" Pollux had no idea what he was talking about. Who was this kid? Some psychotic strangler-dude? But then a thought appeared in his mind. He choked slightly when he opened his mouth.

"'di Angelo?" He breathed, and the guy's eyebrows perked up as if to say yes, "He left!" His brown eyes narrowed.

"Where?" The boy asked, roughly, "WHERE?" Pollux's teeth clenched. His grasp grew tighter, his airways shrinking.

"I—Don't—Know—But," Pollux coughed, his nose snarling, "If—You—Find—Him—Kill—Him." The boy looked at him, finally taking a glance at Pollux, his bloodshot eyes looking more confused than fierce and finally let him go. Immediately, Pollux sunk to his knees.

"You know him then?" The boy asked calmly, as if he hadn't just tried killing him, "Nico di Angelo?" Pollux looked at him with deathly eyes, in the middle of a coughing fit.

"Yeah," He coughed, "H—He took my girl." Slowly, Pollux stood up, his knees shaking. The boy in front of him looked far gone.

"Your girl?" The psychotic guy repeated, his eyes flashing.

"Yeah," He confirmed, "Cute chick. Brown hair, grey eyes, slim. Seen her?" The boy shook his head grimly, but for a moment Pollux saw something unknown go across his face. Something worth looking at.

"Nah, dude, but she seems like somebody worth looking for," He replied.

"And who are you?" Pollux continued, eyeing around for his sword, "What are you? After him or something?" His sword was nowhere in sight. The boy gave him a warm smile.

"Something like that," he confirmed nicely. Pollux ignored his friendly tone.

"And you thought killing me was worth it?" Pollux took a dangerous step toward him. The boy shrugged apologetically.

"Sorry dude, didn't know you didn't like him," He said to him, "Peace?" His hand threw out in front of Pollux. Pollux looked down at it in disgust, and then back at the boy. He wasn't going to shake his hand.

"You're a demigod, aren't you?" Pollux assumed immediately, "Look bro, this is my quest, so if you could go skip off-"

"Don't worry," He let out a wave in the air, "This is personal business. I just need to know what direction he went." Pollux swallowed, and shrugged numbly.

"No idea. The zombie knocked me out," Pollux said, and then added bitterly, "_And then took my girl._"

"Do you know where he was heading atleast?"  
"Probably a tree or something," Pollux said, folding his arms across his chest, "He has them everywhere." The boy nodded slowly, but Pollux could tell that he didn't take his words.

"But, I'm not going to start at the trees," Pollux continued, almost talking to himself, "I don't think he'd go to the trees just yet. I just…" His voice left. The boy's eyebrows lifted up.

"You're going to look for him as well?" The boy asked. Pollux scuffed.

"Well, yeah! He took my girl," Pollux repeated impatiently, "And then I'm going to kill him." A victorious smirk spread across the boy's lips.

"How about you come with me then, eh?" The boy suggested, "I mean, then we'll get what we both want." He let out a cold laugh.

"You think I'm coming with _you? _ That's a joke! You just tired to kill me!" Pollux pointed out, "You're psychotic!" The boy shrugged again.

"Just trying to get the job done," He said simply. Pollux's eyes turned to cold slits.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Why, because we both want the same thing. Why not team up?" The boy offered. Pollux stared at him for a long moment, trying to determine what tree he would turn him into if he had the power.

"I mean, I obviously – No offense – But have been out in the trees longer," He continued, "And I have no use for the girl. Better than nothing, right?" Pollux was quiet for a moment, but then nodded.

"Fine," He said coolly, "But I'm not shaking your hand." The boy nodded with a short laugh.

"Whatever," He said in a laugh, "Go get what you have, I'll be waiting." The boy started off slowly toward the wilderness, clearly more eager than Pollux. Slowly, Pollux swerved to his small backpack that was lying next to his sleeping bag. He zipped it open, planning on putting the last bits of food around him in it, but before he stuffed it in he saw something in his backpack he obviously didn't put in himself. A heartbeat skipped in him.

"What is that?" He whispered to himself. He looked behind him toward the oblivious boy, and then stuck his hand out to retrieve the unknown object out of his backpack. His lips curled when he looked at it.

It was a chipped cup.

He was about to throw it toward a tree or something, since he obviously wasn't the person to put it in there, but then he saw a note hanging out. Slowly, cautiously, he took out the note.

In elegant, girly letters it said

_I'm sorry._

At first, he could only stare at the words until his eyes scrolled down to the cup. On the outside of the cup it said, "#1 Dad". At first he was numb. She sent him a goodbye note, he realized, she cared.

She had to be found.

He stuffed it into his backpack carelessly and then looked at the boy who was starting to walk away. He noticed he was looking at him.

"Who are you, anyways?" Pollux spat accusingly. A smile spread across the boys lips.

"Jarr."

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

"My name is Nico di Angelo, and I am the son of Hades." He started from the beginning. The beginning _beginning. _ From the start of his birth, to then. When he was put into this odd-frozen-time-thing, and then to when he found out he was a demigod, and then when he met Percy and some other people she couldn't remember. He told her the stories of the next couple years, about how he lost himself while trying to take over a maze, and how he tried killing Percy a bazillion times, and then the battle of Manhattan. She asked questions continuously, except when he told her about the deaths of his mom and sister. His stories went on, one after another, each time more unrealistic then the next. He told her all the mistakes he made, all the good things he's done, and all the horrible parts of being a demigod.

She nodded, and lied to him when she said she believed him, because she knew if she said otherwise then it'd start a conflict of trust. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, but she just honestly wasn't sure. It didn't matter though, because she could tell by Nico's eyes that he didn't believe her when she said it, but he continued on.

"But why did you just…Leave?" Her voice interrupted, "A year and a half ago." She saw him swallow.

"I just had to," He told her, "It's a…Story I really don't want to tell." She didn't nod at this.

"And trees?" She asked with a smirk, "You decide to hide in trees? Don't you have a whole kingdom or something?" He gave a small laugh.

"No – Well, yes – But it's not a good time to go down there."

"Why not?"

"Just cause…" His voice drawled to a silence. She took this as a chance to look above her, at the sun. It was the only way anymore to see what time it was. Ever since Nico forced her away from their battle scene, they've been walking. She had asked multiple times where, but all he said was 'you'll see'. And then, distracting her, he would tell her his story. She couldn't help though, even miles away, to look behind her, in the chance that Pollux would finally find her. It wasn't that she didn't want Nico, but a part of her hated herself for just leaving. A letter wasn't enough. A cup wasn't enough. Just like the silver ring, which had seemed so heavy now that she thought about it, wasn't enough when Nico left.

It looked like it was noon.

"And your story?" He asked her, finally. She blinked.

"My story?" She asked. He nodded with a smile. _I told you my story. _

"Yeah, how you got here. What happened? You know, how you got here," He told her. She felt numb. A part of her didn't want to tell him. A part of her didn't trust him. A part of her still didn't see the Nico she knew in him. But when she opened her mouth, her tongue didn't stop. Jokes and snarky remarks flew out of it the longer she talked, causing laughter, and she felt herself ease up.

"I dunno," She said, after she told her story fully, "This whole thing is crazy." He shrugged.

"Life is crazy," he agreed with her. She couldn't help but see through his smile.

"But you still didn't want me here," She said outloud. He swallowed thickly.

"It's not that I don't want you here," Nico told her, "It's just…You were better there." She pretended that a hot jolt of pain didn't hit her when he said that. Pollux would never think that.

"Is that why you wouldn't look at me? Because you're a demigod?" She guessed. He sighed.

"You really want me to look at you?" He asked her.

"Yeah," She told him strongly, "I do. If Pollux can look at me, you can too. It's stupid how you won't." She was surprised how objective her voice rose, but she didn't regret it. His lips turned into a firm line.

"Fine, but…I need to show you something first," He told her. She rolled her eyes.

"Is this the place you won't tell me about but yet we're walking to?" She asked in a snarky tone, but yet playfully. A small smile twisted on his mouth.

"We're right here, alright?" he asked her, "It's right here." She looked in front of her, tree after tree. Each one seemed average to her, none of them Nico-worthy, but then surprisingly, he didn't stop at a tree. He stopped at a rock. A plain, grey, huge rock. There was an eerie silence as they both stood in front of it awkwardly.

"This is the awesome thing you wanted me to stare at?" She asked, confused, "I mean, no offense Nico, but…" He laughed again, like jewels in her ears.

"Would you wait?" he asked, "Just watch." She watched obediently as he closed his eyes. At first, there was nothing, and another snarky comment hung on her tongue, but then, the rock started to move. And then the grass around it started to twist. And then, suddenly, the trees seemed so much farther away. Her eyes widened.

"What are you doing?" She asked, curiously. His index finger found his lips, and she remained silent. She watched as everything moved and twisted and turned, and then she saw it. It was a hole. A huge, huge hole that nobody would've guessed existed under the terrain. At first, she looked at it. She could see the victorious gleam on Nico's face.

"You first," He said, pointing at the mud-carved stares. She looked at his apprehensively, but then, with every ounce of bravery she had, she stepped into the dark hole.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

She was in an underground room. And when she said room, she meant a _room. _A dark, cold room, with a beat up couch and buckets of water with chips hanging all around. Melting candles seemed to flicker in the air, she could barely make out. It wasn't until Nico shot fire into the candles that she was able to see the entire room. She was breath-taken.

"Is this…" She was finally started to believe this, "The underground-maze-thing?" Nico's face was flat.

"Nope," He told her, "That thing died with its ruler. But this was modeled after it. Kinda amazing, isn't it?" When he beamed a smile, she couldn't smile back. She was too at awe to smile.

"This is…This is amazing…" She went up to a wooden table, examining the colossal mess scattered across it. Papers, letters, pictures, toys, other things.

"I mean," He murmured, "It's not much, but its hidden and nobody can really find it, so it's good." She didn't look at him, but could only stare around her.

"Are there multiples?" She asked numbly.

"Yeah, a few, but this is my favorite," She heard pride in his voice, "I made it myself. It took me a while – That was what I was doing for the first three months out."

"It's…It's really amazing Nico." She unlatched one of the candles hanging from the clay sealing and layed it onto the table. When the light beamed her eyes caught a small, oval shaped picture. It was an old photo, as if it had been through decades, like something she'd see at her grandma's house. Before she could help herself, she held it between her fingers.

It was a picture of a beautiful woman. She had dark hair and dark eyes, with a nice dress on. It was in black and white, but she knew that the woman was exotic. She wasn't smiling, but it didn't make the photo any less beautiful. She, in a way, reminded her of Marilyn Monroe, even though she looked nothing like her. She had that aura. Like she was beautiful and she didn't need anybody to say it. She knew she was beautiful.

"When was this made?" She heard herself mumble.

"Probably the early forties," He muttered, "it's my mother." Her eyes widened. She was going to swerve around, asking how old she was, but then she remembered that technically, he was like…ages old because of the whole frozen-time-thing.

"But I thought your dad wouldn't tell you anything."  
"That doesn't mean I wouldn't find out by myself," He said, a revolutionary tone hanging in his voice. She smiled. She admired that/

"She's beautiful." She felt Nico slide against her.

"I…I guess," he said, his voice puzzled as if he had never tried looking at her physical features before, "I just wish I met her though…Like, when I could talk to her. It's like, I don't understand it." Her eyebrows furrowed and she finally looked at Nico, not connecting with his eyes, but looking in his direction.

"Understand what?" She asked, tilting her head. He shrugged.

"I mean, she could do so much better than him. My father," He said, a tad bitterly, "Why not just marry a guy? I mean, she hung around, even though he had a wife. She deserved so much better then that." At first, she was silent. Because she went through the same thing. Why did her dad cheat? But she felt that Maria di Angelo was different.

"Because love has no conditions," She whispered to him, "She didn't need society to define her. She didn't need anybody's acceptance. She just loved…Who she loved." At first, she was shocked by her own words, unknown if she believed it herself once it came out, but then for a small moment, she realized that Maria di Angelo was just like Nico. He didn't need society to define him.

AN: OKAY, ITS SLOW. But I had no time to make it all jazzy. I'm sorry have to go.

THANK YOU REVIEWS! Please review. They mean everything Btw, I didn't edit D:


	10. The Lost Letters

** When It Rains**

When Constance Margaret Jennings realized the purpose of her life, she wasn't a day older then sixteen. She thought she knew everything. She thought she knew who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. She thought she knew her life plan, what she was going to do, how she was going to live it. She, in other words, was completely blinded by her own ignorance.

Her realization began when a boy invited her into an underground room. Time seemed endless there. They had gotten there in the afternoon and only after a few conversations and a snickers bar she was already sleeping in an old recliner, letting time be infinite. But she knew the next time she woke up that it was early in the morning.

The person she had entered with rustled into the room, causing her eyes to open. Though fuzzy, she watched him pick up a random bag and started to stick random things in it: Daggers, candy, a piece of paper. She sat up in her recliner, yawning.

"What are you doing?" Her voice must've surprised him because he swerved around immediately, his facial expression anxious. His eyes seemed to be larger than normal, but she guessed it was because the darkness in the dim room did that after awhile. Did her eyes look like that too, she asked herself consciously.

"Just going out," He said steadily, "Errands." She picked up her jacket, because she knew it would be chilly, but the boy stopped her.

"No," He said, relatively sharply, "I need to do this alone." But her jacket was already on her and she stood up.

"Nah, I'll come with you," She said, a warm smile appearing on her face, "I want to get to know this forest." His eyes still held the same wide look.

"No!" He said, sharper, but then when recovered quickly, "I mean, sorry I didn't mean to – Honestly, Connie, you need some sleep. I'm used to sleeping in the forest; I sleep at least ten hours a night. No offense, but since you're really not used to this place, I would be surprised if you slept five. Just wait here – I'll be back in a few hours." Her facial expression was frozen.

"No, its okay," She said, her voice hollow, "I'll sleep later-" But his face was stern.

"Connie," A reassuring smile held on his lips, "Just wait, alright? I'll be back soon." He put on his own jacket, disregarding her.

"But what am I supposed to do?" She asked lightly as she stepped in front of him, "I mean, there's only so much you can do in an underground room…" He gave a short chuckle, though she was dead serious.

"Theres stuff everywhere," He promised her, "Just look around." Her teeth clenched.

"Fine," She said with a sigh, "I guess I'll sit here and be useless." She plopped back down on the recliner, her eyes tempting to shut again but she forced them to open to prove to Nico that she would, not in any way, go to sleep. He went over and put his lips on her cheek, for the first time not hesitant.

"Just relax," He told her, and she watched him as he reopened the hole, going into the blinding light. When he left, she let out a loud huff. Pollux would never do that. He would never just _leave _her. And even if he did, she would follow him. She guessed it was more of her fault then his – She should've thought before she just let him enclose her into a hole. She followed her guts though and rose from her chair again, toward the corner. See, Nico had been here for a while, he had time to collect numerous weapons: Long multi-colored swords, different type of spears, all kinds of bows and arrows, with other unusual weapons she couldn't identify with her normal common knowledge of weapons. So she picked up a random spear, not even thinking about what she was going to do, and drove it where the hole was. But just as she did, using all her strength she had, it rebounded and flew across the room. She picked it up, and did it again, and again, and again, and once even driving it through the clay, but never opening.

"OPEN!" She roared, but even on command it didn't happen. She threw her hands behind her head and sat in a random chair hanging around.

"What am I supposed to do here?" She growled to herself, "Just sit here?" No, she wouldn't do that. She for a second considered his suggestion for going to sleep, but she felt useless doing that. She roamed around for a moment, picking up different books, trying to read them but failing miserably as most of them were ancient ones that automatically bored her. She managed to find a piece of paper and tried doodling but she was never good at that. She even tried handling weapons, but most of them she didn't have the patience to work on.

But she noticed that desk again, with things overflowing it. She went over there, cautiously. For a moment, as her hand ran over different things, she felt like she was violating his privacy. But he _did _leave her here. And he told her to do go relax. So, she looked around it, picking up other pictures, mostly of him with different kids (probably at camp half-blood). There were rings and bracelets, bandages of all kinds, and pieces of games. Fed up, she opened the drawer below it and when she did, her eyes looked into it curiously.

They were books again, but they weren't like the old informational books she was reading earlier. They were tattered, and didn't have any titles. She recognized one too – One of them Nico used to carry around and pretend to read as he listened to her. Or, who knows, maybe he did read it when he listened to her, but anywho she knew he carried it around.

She was never really curious of it until now. Slowly, apprehensively, she picked it up. Again, she had the odd feeling she was violating his privacy when she held it in her hands. Like it carried meaning. Slowly, she opened it.

Her eyes seemed to widen when she did. It wasn't printed – It was handwritten. Her fingers ran through it, realizing that each page was addressed to somebody new, like letters, but with dates at the top like diary.

"A journal…" She whispered to herself. The feeling of violation was higher than ever, but she was too curious to put it down. She knew it was Nico's handwriting because of the scratchy letters. She noticed the first letter was written only a few months before she knew him, a part he never truly talked about. She looked at the entrance to the cave. He'll be gone for a few hours, enough time to just…peak into the journal.

Her eyes scaled the page, and slowly, she started to read his words.

_Dear Percy,_

_ My life is boring. Yep, that's the first thing I'm going to write. Positively boring. I mean, atleast I had a goal last time. But now that I'm on an unidentified quest, I'm starting over. In the middle of nowhere. I have to kill somebody, I get that. I got over that feeling of taking somebody's life. I have to stab this knife into somebody's heart, I accepted that part. But I'm hopeless. And since nobody is with me, I sorta took your advice. Always keep track of whats going on, and you'll figure it out. Because if you don't, you'll end up getting in a fight with Madusa or a fall down the Arch. Or atleast, that's what you said .And that's why I bought this journal-thing. So, yeah, I guess I'm just going to listen to you. Even though you have no idea that I'm doing this. Which is sorta ironic. But I guess it doesn't matter much, does it? Because I have no leads. No leads whatsoever. And this time, I have nobody to manipulate (oh, by the way, have you forgave me for that yet?). All I know is I need blood. Blood of somebody who may not possibly exist. But you're too busy with the living world to realize that totally different war is going down below you. _

_ Sincerely from a person who'll never send this,_

_ Nico di Angelo._

She didn't know what he was writing, what he meant. It must've been metaphoric – Not literal, but yet the words seemed so detailed, so precise, it almost made her want to think it was true. Her mouth was parted, and before she could stop herself, she tipped the page.

_Dear Father,_

_ Will you ever listen to me? You'd listen to Bianca. You'd listen to Persephone. Why won't you listen to me when I say that your entire kingdom is at a war and theres only one way to stop it? If you just looked around I'm sure you would find the person I'm looking for in five seconds, where as me I've been sitting in this old forest for months hoping to see a girl. She's not at camp Half-Blood, I've searched. And when I catch her, then what? Hand her to you? You don't believe she exists. You don't even believe that your kingdom is falling. You're making this difficult. I'm summoned the dead, but none of them will help me. Why can't you just open your eyes?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Your son. _

She grew suddenly much more into it then she thought she'd be. A letter to his father…He told her about him, but it seemed so much more strong reading it.

_Dear Percy,_

_ I met somebody random in a forest today, the first time in months. I know – You'd probably backhand me if I really told you that, but I guess if I have to record everything I must write that don't, right? He told me he knew where the person was. He knows she exists. But he told me something horrifying. He told me instead of just killing her, I'd have to light her on fire to let her blood be good enough. I was horrified, horrified to the bone. I'm the son of death, yet even I find that disgusting. He wants me to join him though. I can sacrifice, but I don't think I can torture people. I guess I could've just walked away, looking back onit. Instead, I sent a bunch of dead warriors on him and told him to leave me alone. Have I ever told you I'm not good with people? _

_ Sincerely,_

_ The kid who doesn't understand_

Her eyes widened. Who was the guy he met? Was it true? She turned the page.

_Dear Grover,_

_ I'm sorry. I'm so so so sorry. I'm sure you've heard by now that ten of your satyrs that you decided to send for me to make sure I was alright couldn't find me. I'm grateful, truly, I am, but this isn't a quest for any of them. The truth? I hypnotized them. People can't find me Grover, but if I had the nerve to send this, I'd tell you I left the forest to Manhattan. Of course, I kept some of my homes alive in the forest, but I had to leave. I'm trying to think like you though, if that means anything. Most of the demigods you found are in the north east, and I know shes not a demigod, but maybe shes in there?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ The boy who hates himself._

Her eyes were glued to the page. This was his story, she murmured to herself. He didn't lie to her, sure, but he didn't tell her the full story. Each word seemed like a million dollars. She turned the page.

_Dear Grover,_

_ How do you find people so easily? I found a nice tree to sleep in overlooking Manhattan. Its better then the forest – More people, better air. But I'm still going insane here. I can't summon the dead here. I'm too paranoid. But lately I've been looking at people – Is it the ninety-nine year old woman sitting on the bench the one I'll have to kill? Is it the little girl at a distance, running with her brother, the girl I have to kill? The other day I nearly killed a girl who probably wasn't even out of middle school. I just had a feeling it was her, just a stupid feeling, and I took out my knife, about to kill her. I almost jumped down and dug it into her heart. I almost took away her life. The only thing that stopped me that the realization she had blue eyes rather than grey. What if I actually did that? What if I took away a life unneeded to be dead? What is wrong with me? Has this killing concept gone too far in my head? I hope I find her quickly, I'm tired of this war. I'm tired of people not believing me. I'm tired of wanting to kill somebody._

_ Sincerely,_

_Nico_

All her saliva in her mouth was gone. Completely gone. She started to feel as if this journal was getting more and more literal. She couldn't read the next ones – She skipped a few pages, wondering to one that was to his sister.

_Dear Bianca,_

_How do you kill somebody? How can you look somebody in the eyes and take their life? The thoughts are starting to come back to me. I discovered this quest thinking it would be easy after I got over that, that I wasn't some little kid anymore, that it was for the greater good, but what am I doing? Do I have the nerve? Am I brave enough? Can I do it? What have I done to myself?  
Sincerely,_

_Nico_

Her eyes were wide. She felt sick, sick to her stomach. He was with a murderer, a murderer. She flipped the page before her mind could stop herself.

_Dear Annabeth,_

_ I feel like you know what it's like to be alone. To be left by everybody. I found a girl today. Just a girl. She tried coming into my tree. I saved her life. Me, a future murderer, saved her life. Was I wrong to save her? To let her in? With a future murderer? I want this to be over. Have you ever felt that way?  
Sincerely,_

_The Ghost King_

Her eyes widened.

"The girl…He's talking about me…" She didn't know why this shocked her, but she was surprised to be brought into the story. What other role did she play?

_Dear Hades,_

_ He's one of yours. The boy who keeps coming up to me, trying to join me. Hes working for you, isn't he? I hope he told you I'm not interested. This is my business. Not some stupid kid's. He should go back to Camp Half-Blood like he belongs. I finally recognized him too. You didn't think I'd know who Jarr was?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Sadly, your son. _

Jarr. He had somebody who wanted to help him. She would always remember that name now, she thought to herself. She glimpsed at the next couple pages, which were mainly about spears he wanted to make, but she didn't feel like reading them so she skipped them.  
_Dear Percy,_

_ I see her. All the time. I want to talk to her again. I see her walk by the park. But maybe I'm being a hypocrite. How can I expect that, when I won't talk to her either?_

_Sincerely,_

_Nico di Angelo_

"Me…" She whispered to herself, a surprisingly sick feeling filling her stomach "Still me." She flipped the page.

_Dear Hades,_

_Your wife is trying to betray you. Thought you should know. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ Nico_

She couldn't help but snicker at this, calming the tension inside her. She flipped a few pages, trying to get over some boring stuff that she truthfully didn't care about. Until she stopped at her name.

_Dear C_onnie,

_Finally, you came. Why am I happy about this? I shouldn't be. But I am. Finally, somebody understands. You're not weak, like you think you are. But I do have to warn you – You shouldn't hang out with me. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ The boy in the tree_

Her face drained. She glimpsed the next few, all about her. Her personality, her looks, her charm. She didn't know he paid so much attention to her. Not like how she paid attention to him. If anything, he paid attention to her more.

_Dear Percy,_

_ I have to leave, I can't do this anymore. I've never had somebody to distract me. Not even you. Why can't I just leave? She's a girl. She's just a girl. And yet I can't even look at her. I'm too nervous she'll see something bad in me. Something that'll scare her. Nobody else notices me, why does she? I can't do this. I can't. I keep forgetting my job. I'm supposed to kill somebody, why can't I walk away and just do my job? _

_-Nico _

She flipped the page, her stomach flying.

_Dear Jarr,_

_ I don't like you. I agreed to this, but I really don't like you. I hope you know this deep inside. Your intentions are darker then I thought. Why do you bother? She's just a girl. Why can't you just kill her? Oh right, because you need my help to find her. You should start treating me better._

_Sincerely,_

_ Your fake buddy_

Her eyes narrowed at Jarr's name. She immediately didn't like him either.

_Dear Percy,_

_ Connie was reading something today, and I looked into her eyes. She didn't see me. Percy, Percy…_

The rest of the paper of was gone, ripped out as if the words made him angry. She gulped. But the next page started it all over.

_Dear Percy,_

_ It's her. The girl is her. I don't know what to do. Kill her? Can I? Should I? She's so nice. Why do I always have to get close to the enemy? Theres nothing dark in her. I'm starting to__ love__ like her. I wish I could truly send this. Because I'm siting here, in the middle of knowwhere, shaking. Trying to think of a plan, but I can't. She's probably looking for me right now, most likely. _

_ I guess I'll continue. I was looking into her eyes (this is how I figured it out) and immediately I saw a vision flash. I've read about how some of the older Hades Children could see visions, but I never thought I'd be that unfortunate. I saw a girl, in a grey dress, looking over the Underworld. It was her, I recognized her immediately, even though she looked much older. Her 20's probably. Percy, I know what you'd say, she's probably just going to die and that was the vision…But she was on a cliff, and under her….The entire Underworld is in flames._

_ She is the girl I have to kill._

_ Sincerely,_

_ The most horrible person ever._

_Dear Percy,_

_ I'm freaking out. I need help. I want to run. I want to hide. Help me, find me, kill me. Do anything._

_Dear Connie, _

_ Do you see it in my eyes? Why I won't look at you now? It's because you can't see that vision. I'm scared if you look at me, my vision will appear in front of your eyes. But maybe you see it anyways, the truth. Maybe you've already noticed that black dagger in-between this journal. Maybe you've seen me stare at it when you talk to me. At night, I think of killing you, but in the day I can only think of saving you. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Nico._

It was then she realized that she was on the ground, her body shaking. She couldn't 't breath. She could only read. To keep reading. Or else she'd fall apart. Or else she'd finally have to digest what she was reading.

_Dear Annabeth,_

_ How'd you do it? You told me when you first met Percy he was the person you thought would be reaped. How could you look at him and know that? Especially when you didn't know who it was? When it could be you?_

_ Sincerely, _

_ The Ghost King_

_Dear Persephone,_

_ You want something, I want something. Just listen, would you?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Your stepson._

_ Dear Percy,_

_ The underworld is getting worse. Monsters that have been forgotten are being unleashed, yet you don't even know it. Flames are starting. The world is crumbling. Yet my father isn't even acknowledging it. Deep down, I hope you figure it out. But I know you can't.I need to kill her. I see her every day, why can't I just kill her? One day, she'll look me in the eyes and she'll see the vision I saw. She'll lose herself anyways. Why can't I just do it? One thousand lives or one?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Nico di Angelo_

_ Dear my stupid mind,_

_ Kill. Kill. Kill. Don't you ever think of anything else? Like food or something? The basics?_

_ Sincerely,_

_ My stomach. _

She looked at the ring on her thumb, so heavy, and threw it across the room. She didn't know why she was falling apart so quickly, each part of her body she could suddenly feel. It was probably all lies…But reading it. She needed to read it. She skipped around ten pages.

_Dear Percy,_

_ I've decided I will end her life. The consequences are too much. She'll forgive me. I'll join her there. Just because shes dead it doesn't mean I can't love her._

_ Sincerely,_

_ A part of me_

_ Dear Annabeth,_

_ I never knew how brave you were till now. The countdown has started. I need a break. I'm leaving for a few weeks or so, and then I'll go back to go see her. I need time. By myself. To think about whether I'll tell her or not. Tell her who she is. _

_ Sincerely,_

_ The son of Hades_

_ Dear Connie,_

_ I left you a ring, because that's the only way I'll come back. The ring always makes me come back. I've had it for years, and it always kept me strong. It always made me to keep going. Maybe now its with you I can finally end this quest. It's been going on too long. I need to finish this. We had good times, but you need to stay strong too. Live your life. It'll be okay._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Nico_

_ Dear Connie,_

_ I'm sitting in a diner, trying to understand why I can't just do it. I'm the son of Hades. I see dead people every day. I can kill somebody. I just can't kill somebody I love. Uhuh, yeah, I just said it. Right there. I shouldn't be writing this now, there are too many people crowding around me, watching the News. Apparently some girl ran away from Manhattan. There is a million dollar reward. It reminded me of you. You're worth a million dollars._

_ Sincerely,_

_ Your biggest enemy_

She couldn't do it. She couldn't read it anymore. She flipped to the last page, one last read, her body half dead in fear.

_Dear Connie, _

_ You're below me right now, holding somebody that you shouldn't be holdng. This will be my last entry. Because I realized now that I didn't do this journal for Percy, I did this for myself. Because I could never get over the fact that I have to murder somebody. I spent half my life wallowing over death, and then the other half trying to stop it. And it's hard to know that your own world will be destroyed if you don't commit just one tiny sin. But I was a son of Hades, I had to do it, I thought I could, and I deluded myself into thinking I could do it so easily. And it didn't make it any better that I met you. That I got close to you. Maybe it was karma, maybe it's just another unfortunate thing in my life. You'll never read this, I know that, but I'm sorry. I'm really really really sorry. I'm sorry,I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But I know what I'm doing is best, because even when you're dead there is life as long as you bring it with you. I have faith you won't let go of life. I'll meet you at Elysium after __I __ you save the world. I know if I'd ask, you would agree. Because you're the most selfless person I've ever met. But I can't ask you. The words of death won't come out of my voice._

_ I'll try 'saving' you temporarily. Give you one last day to be around, no conditions allowed. Or maybe I'll just kill you in your sleep. Right here, right now. But it doesn't matter because I'm the Ghost King. Death isn't a threshold for me. I'll kill myself after this, if that means happiness with you. If that means I can get away from this world._

_ I'm sorry. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Nico di Angelo_

The book dripped from her hands. She was sprawled on the ground, her heart beating louder and louder. It was true, she knew it was true, she just _knew_. Suddenly, a flash of memories hit her eyes. Her mother smiling, her dad making pancakes, her sisters playing dress up, even her suddenly unperfect two ballet friends. Maybe if she just held on a little longer, tried harder to be apart of New York City… She felt herself forgive anybody she hadn't already, even Jace. Even the girls who had made fun of her. Even Pollux, for letting her leave him. She shut her eyes…Oh, Pollux…She doesn't want this. She doesn't want this. She had a life to live. She could've done this entire thing differently. She could live her life, she realized, she could. And yet, the boy she loved was going to take it.

She stood there for a while, too upset to cry. She'd die strong, she told herself, you can't cry now. It was then that she realized that's what Nico was probably doing. Getting ready. She closed her eyes. Her life was all a lie, she was a pig for slaughter.

How could she do this? How could he do this? He said she would be okay with dying, but she wasn't. There was always a different way. Death is never the option. How could he be so selfish? How could she ever believe him?

It was then that she felt the ceiling start to vibrate, the hole widening. She thought of going bravely, just letting him do it. No words, no nothing, maybe doing what he said – Not to let death be an issue for them. Or maybe she should just do it herself. Leave it like that. Not let him have to put that on his soul.

But she realized quickly, that she didn't want that. She wasn't a coward. Her life was not a thread, not on a thread he was allowed to snip. Her heart wasn't thinking anymore. She swerved around, toward the pile of weapons, and picked up the only one she knew. By the time she picked it up, Nico was out of the hole, staring at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, clearly confused. She had picked up the bow and arrow, the only thing she knew how to hold.

"I read it," Her voice was abnormally steady as she kicked the journal toward him. He looked at it, at first even more confused, but then his overly-pale skin was like sour milk. He didn't say a word, but his mouth opened like he was about to. She now knew why his eyes were so wide. He didn't speak for a moment.

"Go ahead, say it," She hissed, aiming it at his heart, her body shaking so hard she could hear it in her own voice "I know you're going to kill me. You're powerful. But I'd like you to know that I went to the best private school in New York. They teach us stupid things like archery to make us look talented. Oddly enough, I was on the top five. Kill me, go ahead, but that arrow will be shot in your chest the moment you do it."

**AN: Sorry that its layed out so weird and if you think its crappy. I've never really tried doing this before, but maybe you understand? Maybe you like it? I NEED MORE REVIEWS TO SEE HOW I'M DOING PEEPES:P Especially on this one. Just one word helps. Or, if you want to be an overachiever, tell me if you're still on Nico's side (curious)**

**BTW Thank you for reviews my secret lover, ****Iridescent Coconut,****Singer24,StarStruck99, & ****MadlyMagical**

**And, I wasn't able to edit. So forgive mistakes?**

t


	11. Holding On

**Grape Vines**

Deep inside a forest, far away from the loud New York City, two boys marched under the shining sun, making an angelic picture for anybody who was above them. The trickles of light tickled them as they slid down the hills smoothly, as if the heavens were touching them itself, as the afternoon started to come. One of the boys, blonde and a steady body built, was looking out into the skies as if waiting for some godly figure to take them away, while the other one, with thin brown hair and attractively broad, leaded the way as if they were going on a war. The picture would've been beautiful, touched enough that anybody who lived in a tight apartment in the middle of everything would've gotten it and hung it right above their flat screen television because of the magical symbolism of brotherhood.

But the picture wasn't reality.

"I'm tired of the walking!" The blonde boy, staggering behind the broad boy angrily, with wine-red rims around his purple eyes, "You told me we'd get to where your _brilliant _idea of where Nico would be, hours ago!" The boy, stiff as stone as he listened to this (in his eyes) whiny bratt, turned to look at him. His, under the light, auburn eyes glared toward him.

"Would you _shut up?_" The boy asked, glowering at him, "We're almost there!" The blonde behind him gave out a cold, almost manic laugh.

"Yeah, and pigs fly out of my butt too!" He cackled, his voice ringing into the open area, "There's nothing over here! There hasn't been for miles!" The blonde boy didn't hear the angry sigh that the brown-haired boy breathed.

"Patience," He said out loud, though to himself. The boy behind him, sleep deprived shook his head.

"Patience my dad's royal throne!" The boy snapped, "This is ridiculous! We haven't taken a break since you dragged me from that bloody tree!" The boy turned around again, his eyebrows up in the air.

"Oh, do you need a break?" His voice was filled with fake sympathy, "You need to go take a nap? A chocolate milk?" The blonde boy's eyes were deadly, as if he was going to shoot purple daggers right then and there.

"No, I need somebody who actually knows where we are going," He hissed. The brown-haired boy ignored him, continuing down the steep hill. The boy kept muttering things behind him, each comment more annoying then the next, and he was sure he was going to lose his composure and just lash out at him until his eyes caught sight of it.

"I FOUND IT!" He screamed, in glee. The boy behind him scuffed.

"Yeah, just like you found it five hours ago," The boy said darkly, but to the brown-haired boy thought it was gold. He stopped in front of his sight, admiring it. The blonde boy, confused, stopped next to him and stared down.

"Oh wow," He said sarcastically, as he looked at it, "A rock! How beautiful! Now can we move on?" But the brown-boy, usually striving to keep going, stood still. His brown eyes looked larger.

"Hello, earth to Jarr!" But the brown haired boy didn't answer him. Instead, he took a zip lock bag out of his pocket and pinched the weird smashed leaves that vaguely reminded Pollux of pot, and put it down on the rock. Pollux waited, as patiently as he could, and when he was just about to make another unnecessary snarky comment, something shimmered in his eyes. He saw Jarr stepping back quickly, and Pollux stumbled with him.

"What are you doing? What are you…" The rock, not such a boring rock anymore, started to vibrate away, along with everything else around them. The beautiful trees turning into some sort've dark magical that made Pollux's stomach feel the awfulness within. Pollux's eyes shot around frantically as Jarr looked at his masterpiece with scary glee. Pollux was soundless for a moment as he watched around, but then his eyes shot at Jarr again, and realized something horrifying.

"Oh god…You're the son of…" He always assumed that Jarr was the son of Hecate. To him, Hecate-kids always seemed like creepy little devils who were always in their own snevilling business, always looking at things in weird ways and talking smack all the time. He, for the last twenty-four hours, believed this was Jarr. Until he saw what he had just done.

Jarr smiled at him darkly.

"Son of Eris," He confirmed, "Goddess of revenge."

**(imagine three dashes here)**

She should've expected for the black stone to conjure from under her sharply, not only snapping her bow and arrow in half but ripping it away from her, and snagging her with it. Before she knew it, she was pinned to a wall.

Her breathing was tight as she stared at the devilish boy in front of her. For a moment, she saw the creepy boy that Pollux had always told her about.

She was going to die, she noticed, any second now. She had no time to rethink her life, but yet just look at her once-love fiercely.

"Listen to me," She couldn't help but noticed how his eyes seemed strained, "It's complicated." Her nose flared.

"Complicated?" She seethed, "I saw it! I read your journal! You—You…" Her words were lost. He looked at her, his eyes no longer having trouble digging into her's. They were so dark, she noticed, so strong.

"You're not who you think you are, Connie," He told her slowly, "If you knew…" Her eyes narrowed.

"I'm Constance Margaret Jennings," She spat, "I know exactly who I am!" He shook his head, as if he knew more than she did, but he didn't. She knew who she was. She knew exactly who she was.

"You're not normal," He told her, a knife appearing into his palm, "You think you are but Connie, you're whole life…"

"Oh, another _lousy _story!" She hissed, "All this crap! Demigod stuff, the Greeks, THIS ENTIRE PLACE! It's all crap. _You're crap!" _At first, he merely stared at her. His eyes were shallow, but yet showed so much emotion. She knew there were a million things he wanted to say. He looked distraught, but it was all an act, he didn't care. He didn't care about her at all.

Finally, he nodded, his lips tight.

"Fine," He said, his voice hollow, "Your way, then." He rose his dagger, up toward the sky, and suddenly her life seemed so valuable. She thought she wasn't afraid of death, and she still wasn't, but whatever was after death (if there was anything) she knew she wasn't ready for. He said something to her, but her head was too far away from him, and she watched as life seemed so small, the dagger run toward her. Dark with a gleam that caught her eyes in dark beauty.

But then it seemed like the whole world crumbled. Just as it was about to hit her, something shot from the sky. _Litterally. _Right on Nico's shoulders, making him fall down. At first, she could only stare. At the situation, at her life, at everything. Until she looked down and saw what was under her.

"POLLUX!" She screamed in glee. The boys were on top of each other, both grumbling in pain, but then the head of her old friend looked up with squinty eyes.

"Connie?" He asked hazily, but then his purple eyes widened, "CONNIE!" Just as he jumped up from Nico, another body came in view, though much smoother. Pollux turned around, looked at him once, and then jumped in front of Connie, guarding her.

"Go in," He hissed at the unfamiliar person, with surprising despise, "Get your boy, son of revenge." But the boy didn't move.

"You're so pathetic, son of Dionysus," Said a loud cackle, and she let out a scream just as the boy leaped toward her friend, but then the unfamiliar boy fell straight on his face. She peered across Pollux's shoulder. Nico had grabbed his leg, causing him to fall down.

"NO!" Nico screamed, "_I_ HAVE TO KILL HER JARR! ME!" _Jarr. _

_ "You're Jarr!" _ Jarr let out a lunge for her again, but then Nico tackled him, causing him to hit the ground harder. Pollux turned around and evaluated Connie, his eyes wide.

"Oh my god," He murmured, realizing Nico's words, "What did he…" His eyes were far away as he looked what was glueing her to the wall, but she didn't have time.

"Get me out of here!" She barked, causing him to wake up, "Get the stone off of me!" Without thinking twice, he got out his sword and flung it at the thin slip of stone. It shattered on top of her, making her fall on her feet. Just as her feet hit the brown mud, she caught sight of Jarr's eyes. Blood was oozing down his nose. He tossed Nico off of him, toward his table.

"JARR!" Nico screamed, jumping up again before Jarr could make another step toward her, and jumping him, "I HAVE TO KILL HER! IT HAS TO BE ME!" Pollux's eyes flew, once on the fight, on her. She tried not to look at them, at the deep purple swirl of anxiousness.

"What happened?" He said, cooler then ice, "What does he mean? Killing you? CONNIE, WHAT DID YOU GET YOURSELF INTO? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LEAVING ME THERE?" She shook her head.

"No time," She said as she looked at the hole, "We need to-" But it was closed. She wasn't going to delude herself. There was no way out.

"Does it matter who kills her?" She heard Jarr roar, "She just needs to be dead." Pollux's eyes were wide, and suddenly he gripped her by the shoulders, banging her to the wall.

"NO! TELL ME! NOW!" He screamed, "I'm not going to leave without the story." She looked behind him, Nico suddenly losing the fight now though he was taller than Jarr. Jarr had smashed him against the wall. She heard Pollux say something, but she didn't listen. Suddenly though, she felt her head jerked toward him.

"_Tell me." _Her mouth was dry as she looked at Nico cautiously.

"Nico…Well…" She didn't care, she realized, still digesting what had happened, she didn't care if Nico heard her. He was going to kill her anyways, right? So she told him, everything, fast and furious, his eyes growing wider and wider as she spoke.

"We have to find a way out of here, " She ended, "Pollux, please, get me out of here." But there was no way out. The hole was closed. He looked around as a groan of pain came across somebody loudly. She saw how his doubtful eyes started to fill, but she didn't do doubt.

"Connie…I…"  
"You're the son of Dionysus!" She screamed, her body restarting, "YOU'RE A DEMIGOD! YOU CAN DO SOMETIHNG!" But his eyes were hopeless. His eyes looked down at Jarr and Nico. Nico punched Jarr in the eye.

"We can't wait it out," She said, knowing what he was thinking, "One is going to get out conscious, and going to kill us both. Come on, Pollux, I know you can do it." His eyes seemed gone. He shook his head.

"Castor…He was the good one…I don't have talents," He whispered. But Connie wouldn't take that.

"YES YOU DO!" She screamed in his ear, "Make a tree or something!" His eyes shot back into her's, a dark purple color covering.

"A tree?" He asked sharply, his voice shaking, "I'm a son of Dionysus not Demeter, Connie!"

"I DON'T CARE!" She screamed loudly, causing a jump from one of the fighting boys. Pollux was fidgeting in nervousness, his eyes filling with something childish. He looked like he was five years old, she noticed. But he couldn't do this. He couldn't give up.

"POLLUX!" She screamed as he started to daze out, "You promised me! You promised me it would be alright!" His eyes looked at her, completely scared. He seemed vulnerable, so young.

"We'll make it through, remember?" Her voice wobbled, gently now "We're in this together. We're stronger than this." At first, she didn't think he was listening to her. But then he nodded, strength filling his eyes again.

"I can't do a tree, Connie," He told her honestly as he looked above him, "But…" Her brain was wracking.

"You're the son of the god of wine," She pointed out blandly, "What about a grape vine?" His eyes went backwards, looking even more fearful.

"Connie, I'm not that good. I can't, don't you understand? I'm not a demigod. Not like them. I'm the worst, I'm not brave. I'm not a hero." She dug into his eyes, catching them briefly.

"Pollux, you know the height of a tree, how many insects there is in the bark, how much sap is filled, with one thought," She said, her eyes started to swell with tears, "You helped me with those skeletons. Your dad, who has only spoken to you three times in your life, sent you on a quest. You may not be as powerful as Nico, but that didn't stop you from taking a stand. And yet you don't see yourself as a hero?" His eyes googled into her's, as if trying to find her strength.

"It's in you," She whispered, "I promise." A scream came from the fight behind him, but both of their attention was on themselves. He closed his eyes for a moment, softly. His eyelids crinkled, as if he was thinking too hard.

"Feel it, Pollux," She said, calmly, "Feel the vine. Feel the texture. Feel the thorns, Feel the grapes-" But then, right beside them, something ripped from the ground. Her eyes widened, stumbling back, expecting it to be black stone, but then she saw a foot-thick vine push past her, upward at a million miles an hour. Pollux looked like he was seeing a miracle.

"Oh my god…" She heard him murmur to himself as they watched the vine shoot up faster than their eyes could take. But then she heard a crack behind her, causing her to swerve and look at the scene. Her breath took.

Nico was on the ground, blood sprouting from his head. She looked at Jarr, half alive but conscious, with a rock in his hand. His teeth were gritted together, looking like a wild animal.

"CONNIE!" Pollux screamed, "Come on! I can't grab on without you or else I'll have to leave you here!" But Jarr was stumbling toward Nico, picking up a knife. Suddenly, looking at Nico now, he seemed so small. So innocent. So beautiful. She saw the Nico she loved. She saw the Nico she needed.

"NO!" She screamed, about to run but she felt somebody catch her collar.

"CONNIE, WE HAVE TO GO!" Pollux screamed, "Connie…" His voice was gentler as if he finally caught glimpse of the scene, "He's a murderer. He was going to murder you. Forget him!" Her eyes didn't rip away from the scene though, Jarr still staggering toward Nico. Her heart was beating harder then it had been when she almost died herself. She noticed something, possibly sick, but something harder than life itself.

She'd rather die than let him die, even if he was a snevilling murderer.

"NO!" She screeched, getting out of Pollux's grip, "NO! HE CAN'T-" But then suddenly, a rip came from the ground again, right where Jarr was standing, a thin rope entangling him and banging him against the wall. The small vine wrapped around him, making his body immovable. Her eyes widened.

"NOW CAN WE GO?" Pollux screamed angrily. She turned around, and even though Pollux was red in anger she saw the same amazement in his eyes that was in her's. She nodded slowly, and at the count of three, they took a hold on the fast-moving rope.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

The vine was fast. Super fast. Like, don't-feel-your-face-fast. Like, your hands no longer exist fast. She knew there was a problem. She saw green flash past her.

"POLLUX!" She screamed in his ear. She didn't know if he could hear her, but he turned to look at her.

"GUIDE IT!" She said as they started to sprout higher and higher into infinity, "OR ELSE IT'LL GO ON FOREVER!" She couldn't even hear herself, but then suddenly she knew he got it. At first, he stuttered, but then he closed his eyes.

"HOME!" She could see his lips say. As the vine started to rip down, flying down, she closed her eyes to stop from letting go.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

When the vine had stopped, she fell straight on her face. She picked herself up again, noticing how green the grass was. She got onto her feet and her eyes widening.

"We're in a…" She would say a garden, but it was much more than that. There were a million plants around them, everything from trees to bushes to miniature flowers. All kinds of everything: Vegitables, fruits, seasonings, just random pretty things. She had never seen so much color and variety at one place.

She was expecting Pollux to agree with her, but then he murmured darkly, as if this was the last place he'd want to be, "My mom's house."

**AN: I know I'm cutting it off short D: I'm sorry. Please, reviews! REVIEWS REVIEWS REVIEWS! I live for them I'm sorry if it was bland and boring, I just didn't have time to write anything amazing. Again, I didn't edit, so forgive stupid mistakes. Thank you secret lover, ****lilianlawrence, Singer24, PJO3, StarlightShivers, 1Olivia, & Artemis-girl123**

**PLEASE REVIEW! ONE WORD MEANS EVERYTHING**


	12. Many Shades

**The Prophecy**

The sight of the gorgeous forest was nothing like the air that afternoon. Deep inside, past a thousand trees, a young man rested on a rock distraughtly, his forehead dug into his hands. If anybody walked by, they would've probably thought he had lived there for years, by his tattered clothes and overly-skinny buddy. There were gashes all over him, his face purple and swelled. His fingers itched across his bloodied hair, digging across as if to make sure there wasn't any more damage. His head was pounding, his body was weak, and his heart was in shreds. He didn't fit well into the gorgeous forest.

Beyond the ringing in his eardrum, caused by a bang to the ear, he heard a snap. Carelessly, not truly caring about his life at the moment, he looked up with no itch for a dagger. At first, he saw nothing, but then he caught sight of a dead-white dress snagging between the trees. The godly figure appeared, looking much more different then the last time. Her hair was a deep red, as if to resemble a blood-colored rose. It dripped down her shoulders, touching her flawless dress. He thought she looked pretty, even with the new red hair, but she didn't catch his attention.

"Son of Hades," She said softly, evaluating him up and down "You seem like you had an… interesting day." Her voice wasn't bored or chatty, like most of the times he had seen her, but yet professional. He looked up at her, looking deep inside her eyes. He should've rose up and bowed to her, but he didn't care.

"Persephone," He muttered to nobody at all, "Welcome." She didn't smile at him.

"You look like a man who had just picked an unimportant fight for an important person," She said, as if he didn't already know, "How heroic! How…What would I do if a man did that for me?" He blinked at her. At first, his brain was shut off, but then something in him rewired and he snarled.

"No thanks to you," He spat, not caring anymore about respect, "You're nothing different then my father. Not caring, selfish, gone." Her lips formed into a thin line.

"I did as you requested," She said tightly, "I think I deserve a thank you." Nico at first opened his mouth to object, but then a flash hit his eyes. At first, he felt sick. Disturbed. But then his head seemed to start working again.

"You…_You_…You made her find that journal!" He said, jumping to his feet, "You did it!" He was panting heavily, unsure if that was because of anger or because his body was too damaged to stand up right. Persephone raised her nose in the air.

"You requested for her to die peacefully," She said harshly, "And I tried. I even did it with a touch of romance, if I don't say so myself. Aphrodite would've been proud." His eyebrows arched down.

"I meant—I meant her life to be on a thread! For me killing her to be easy! Like her dying already or her wanting it, not like that!" he snarled angrily, "She hates me now!" She bellowed toward him, making him stumble on his heel. The goddess seemed much more lethal now.

"I helped you, Son of Hades, in kindness. You should be thanking me. It is not my fault that you didn't take the opportunity to finish her off," She sniffed coolly, "Now, I want what I requested." His mouth parted.

"You think I can do that now?" He asked, throwing his arms in the air, "It's kinda impossible now, don't you think?" Her eyes glowered at him.

"I take that as she is what I've been predicting, yes?" She asked, and a bad feeling hit Nico's stomach as he realized what he had just done. He was silent.

"Fate has a way, Son of Hades," She said, abnormally calm as she turned her back on him, "You'll figure it out."

**(imagine three dashes here)**

At first, there was an eerie silence as Pollux started swinging around cursing and swearing. Connie watched without a word, as if at awe in the whole situation. He swerved toward a small patch of grass – The only patch around that wasn't filled with vegetation.

"GRAPE VINES!" His voice said grandly, "APPEAR!" Connie looked at him with a bored expression as nothing appeared, as she truly didn't expect anything to. Unlike her though, Pollux was astonished at the empty ground.

"WHAT?" he roared, "Why aren't you appearing! I JUST DID IT! STUPID GROUND! STUPID SOIL! STUPID DEMIGOD-NESS! GRAPE VINE, APPEAR!" Connie blocked out the sound of Pollux's useless cries and crouched down next to a tree. _Nico just tried to kill me, _she thought to herself as she leaned against a pear tree, _And yet I saved his life. _The thought was disturbing, sickening even, how easily her life could've just snipped. She felt like she may just throw up until Pollux turned toward her, wide-eyed and angry. Her eyes dropped at the still-empty patch and shrugged uselessly.

"Maybe it was adrenaline that did it," She mumbled. At first, his eyes lingered, but then she saw his knuckles crunch into a ball.

"And _you!" _He bellowed, pointing at her, "What in the _world_ were you thinking, going with him?" She didn't answer.

"We were a team, Connie! We were partners!" His voice grew, "You don't abandon your partner!" She nodded soundlessly, agreeing.

"What if I didn't come quicker, Connie?" She heard the edge in his voice, as he started to pace in aggravation, "What if I wasn't the first to go down the bloody hole? YOU WOULDN'T BE HERE! YOU WOULD BE DEAD!" She held back the tears forming in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," She said in a small voice, but it didn't matter because he was already in a row.

"YEAH, YOU BETTER BE SORRY, BECAUSE IT FREAKED ME OUT! YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE! WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOO MUCH FOR THAT!" His voice echoed as she closed her eyes, "I walked miles for you, with that Jay-kid-"

"Jarr," She corrected in a low voice. Her eyes looked up and saw that his eyes were a stinging purple.

"Whatever!" He snapped, "Point is, you can't just stalk off with some creepy ghost-kid, alright? You can't just leave! Or else stupid things happen, like dying! And then I have to go save you, and really Connie? I'm not a saving-dude! I'm a watch-and-make-sadistic-remarks-that-almost-gets-myself-killed-dude, not jump-in-and-shoot-grape-vines-out-of-knowhere-like-spiderman-kinda-dude!" She nodded.

"If you ever do that again, I swear, I'll kill you myself-" But then he finally saw the tears swimming in her eyes and he sighed.

"Look, I'm sorry," He said, his voice more gentle now, "But you can't just…Walk away." She nodded, not knowing what else to do.

"I know, it's just, wasn't that the goal? To go find Nico?" Her voice said weakly, "So what was I supposed to do?" His eyes narrowed again.

"Wait for me to get out of my bloody coma!" His voice screeched, angry again, "Remember Connie, we're a team! Not a-"

"Oh!" A sweet voice interrupted from the trees, immediately silencing Pollux's rant. His eyes ran big, desperate. Immediately, a train of swears flew out of Pollux's mouth. Connie, not sure if she truly cared, turned her head toward the trees swiftly, her eyebrows arching.

"Is that my boy?" The abnormally-soft voice continued, "Oh, it's so nice to see you!" Finally, the figure came out from the trees. Connie's eyes seemed to light up when she saw the ageless woman. She was beautiful, she had to admit, and not even in a New-York-City-Vogue way. She had a small figure with caramel curls tickling her shoulders in a bouncy manner, and her eyes were a strange swirl of green and blue. She seemed like she wasn't a day older then fifteen, though, which shocked Connie more than anything. Was she the owner of this wonderful garden? Connie asked herself. But when she looked back at Pollux, wondering if he had the same curious look to, he looked annoyed.

"Hey mom," He muttered. Connie's eyes widened, realizing the word he just mumbled. Her eyes laced back to the woman, completely at awe how young she was. Connie's eyes looked at the woman, expecting for her to share a weird look as well, but instead, the lady's eyes lit up in a happiness Connie rarely saw, and was slightly admired. Her eyes looked back at Pollux and back at the woman, wondering how in the world she could've called him her son.

"Come in," She gestured as she pointed past the trees, "I'll cook you something!"

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

Connie thought she was surprised when she saw the small cottage in the back of the garden, but she didn't feel the true surprise until she walked in. His mother guided them, though Pollux kept insisting (quite harshly) that they were on a quest and they had to get moving, through the lovely cottage. She couldn't say that the house was gorgeous, but she could say it was eye-popping. Each room was a different bright color – The living room being a lemon yellow, the dining room being a bright lime green, the kitchen being a red-apple red. She couldn't decide if she liked it or not as she walked in, she realized, it was just all too overwhelming.

"Seriously, Mom," He said, coolly, "We have to go, right _now!" _He looked at Connie, as if to beg for help, but his mom spoke first.

"Nonsense!" She said joyfully, "You can take ten minutes and eat a turkey sandwich!" His fingers clenched as she guided them to the kitchen. She smiled at Connie, and Connie couldn't help but smile back.

"Sit down, dear," She said sweetly, "I'll get you something." Connie sat down on the chair nicely, unable to disobey the friendly lady, and watched as she went into the fridge to take out some turkey and a container of some sort've red drink. Connie glanced at Pollux, who slammed his butt down loudly, muttering something too low for Connie to hear under his breath.

"How do you even know about the quest, Mom?" Pollux asked harshly. Connie's eyes shot at him, telling him to calm his nerves, but his mom replied quickly.

"Well, your father wrote me, of course," She said silkily. Connie saw a flash of unfamiliar happiness in Pollux's purple eyes, but the glee went away just as quickly as it came. Connie couldn't help but be shocked that Dionysus talked about Pollux, saying he only talked to him a few times in his life.

"He told me you were going to find some kid, yeah?" She asked, trying to make small chat as she made the sandwiches quickly, "Being a beautiful hero?" She saw her wink at him through the reflection in the window above the sink. Connie couldn't help but notice how gorgeous the woman seemed under the shining light, causing Connie to feel a rare jealousness.

"It's not anything big, Mom," He chided lightly, "It's just a quest." It was not just a _quest_, Connie thought loudly in her head, it was a death-eating-trick. But she didn't say it out loud. Pollux's mom set the food and drinks down on the table.

"Thank you Ms…" She was going to say 'Jameson' but she knew it wasn't her last name, but Pollux's birthmother's name. The woman caught her words and gave her a relaxed wave.

"Oh, you can just call me Ariadne," She said, and immediately Pollux rolled his eyes. Connie gave her a small smile, just to give her some sympathy. She shot a look at Pollux, because she truly didn't understand why Pollux was being so rude to his mother. Her mother barely talked to her, she would be more than grateful to have a mother like this!

Pollux didn't touch any of the goods on the table, but Connie, being raised in a wealthy family and had years of being dragged to hopeless formal dinners, knew it unacceptable not to take it.  
Connie picked up her glass of red-juice and tipped it to her mouth, immediately getting an overwhelming feeling of sourness on her tongue. She put it down quickly, trying to swallow down the little juice in her mouth but struggling. She knew immediately that the drink was Kool-Aid except it was three times as sweet. It was almost like the woman dropped half a bag of sugar in it and mixed it.

Ariadne saw it too and she gave her a cheeky smile.

"Yes, I know, it's sweet, but Pollux loves it!" She explained brightly. Connie glanced at Pollux, who wasn't touching his drink at all.

"No, I hate it," He objected sharply. At first, she was confused, but then her eyes lit up again.

"Oh, right! That's your brother, Dakota who loves kool-aid so much!" She explained thoughtfully. Connie's eyebrows rose as she looked at Pollux, shocked that he hadn't told her he had another brother. His eyes though were on his mom, glowering.

"Mom, Dakota isn't my brother," He said impatiently, as if he had explained a million times. She rolled her eyes playfully, waving her hand.

"Oh, calm down!" She chided lightly, "He is your brother!" His eyes lowered at her.

"No, mom. Dakota is the son of the Roman Dionysus, I am the son of the Greek Dionysus. There is a difference," He said tightly. She rolled her eyes again.

"Hunny," When she said this, it only pointed out even more how much younger his mom looked compared to him, "Just like I am the wife of both sides, you are the son of both sides." He sighed.

"Mom, it's different," He swore to her, "You married both sides. I was the son of only one." His mom clearly disagreed, but she didn't argue with him anymore. It was then that Connie saw the anxiousness in her eyes, as if she was afraid that her son would leave too quickly if they got into a fight. Was that the issue that Pollux had with her? Ignorance?

"Well, atleast touch your sandwich," She nagged, "You like those don't you?" Pollux didn't say anything but yet took a bite of it. Connie followed him, even though she really wasn't a fan of them.

There was an eerie silence for a moment as his mom turned her back to them. For a moment, Pollux and her shared an even look, as if they were having a silence conversation. He wanted to leave, but Connie saw pity in his mother. She thought they should stay for just a little more, since she was so eager to let them in.

"This is some good…Meat, Ms. Ariadne," She told her, giving a fake friendliness to her voice just to break the silence. The woman turned around sharply, her eyes sparkling as if she saw a miracle. Acceptance, she guessed?

"Oh, I mine-as-well give you the name of the butcher, then," She insisted, "I have his card in my room."

"Mom, come on-"

"You guys might be hungry on the road," She said to him, even though Pollux was clearly over this. She left the kitchen quickly, without a second look at them. As soon as she left, Pollux stared at Connie.

"Come on," He said, "We have to go. _Now._" He was about to stand up, but Connie grabbed his arm and pushed him down.

"No!" She said sharply, "Atleast say goodbye." His eyes seemed like purple fire.

"Connie, I _hate _it here! Please," His voice was rough, "Could we go?" Her eyebrows furrowed.

"No!" She said sharply again, "She's your mother." He leaned back into his chair and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, and she doesn't even know the difference between her two sons!" He hissed. She sighed.

"Just five more minutes, alright?" She said, thinking back about Ariadne's anxious look in her eyes, "It's nice to just sit here and-"

"I got it!" A high pitched voice interrupted. Ariadne swifted back into the kitchen, a wide smile on her face. She sat down in the chair in front of them, and handed them the business card. Pollux yanked it from her and was about to shove it in his pocket, but she stopped him quickly.

"No!" She said, a sharpness that made Connie, and even Pollux, jump, "Er, could you look at the handwriting, just to make sure you can read it?" Connie gave her a queer look, but she looked at the card, expecting a number. But then she saw something she didn't expect to see.

_They are watching us. _

It wasn't a business card at all. It was a warning. Her eyes looked back at Ariadne, horrified, staring at her overly-wide smile which seemed so creepy now. The anxiousness in her eyes finally made sense. Her head shot toward Pollux, who was trying to keep his composure, but it didn't seem to be working. Where was it? Was it a camera? Was it a microphone? Was somebody outside the door?

He got up from his chair and she shot up quickly.

"Bye…Mom!" He said, with much more worry and concern in his voice. For the first time since they got there, Connie saw a passion for his mother in his eyes. Like he was scared for her. She gave them a tight smile as they left.

"Goodbye and…Be careful!" The goodbye was sweet and loving, but the last words were said in a mother's tone, as if she was sending her child out to war.

**(imagine three dashes)**

It wasn't until they got far away from the garden, making sure their words could not be overheard, that they finally looked at each other again.

They stopped in front of a huge oak tree, and Pollux's face was filled with horror while Connie stared at a distance, unsure about what had just happened. One moment she in Ariadne's kitchen drinking overly-sweet kool-aid, and then the next having a warning shot in her face.

"Oh my gods…Oh my gods..." He repeated to himself. Connie's head was hurting.

"Who is 'they'?" She asked quickly, the words echoing in her brain. He shook his head at her.

" Jarr? Nico? Whoever is behind this," He told her calmly but there was a curious look in his eyes, "You said that your life meant something? One to a thousand?" A lump fell in her throat. She tried to find doubt in his eyes, but all she saw was a question.

"You think that's actually true?" She asked him, defensively, "Pollux…" But his topic changed quickly, his eyes far away.

"He knew I'd go to her…My dad…" He muttered to himself, dazed "He knew I'd go back."

"How?" She asked, her voice with an edge, "You don't like her." He ignored her though, going back into one of those paced circles that he did when he was overwhelmed.

"It all makes sense…Why he didn't give me a prophecy..." He said to himself angrily, "Why didn't I think of that? Why didn't I notice?"  
"What do you mean?" She interrupted loudly, "A prophecy?" He looked at her, clearly annoyed.

"You're supposed to get a prophecy when you leave for a quest. You know, like guidelines, but since it was such a small quest, he didn't give me one, and…" But then his words disappeared.

"And what?" She said sharply, stepping close to him, "Pollux! Tell me!"  
"That's why he talked to me!" He said, anger rising, "Because he knew something was going on!"

"Wait," She threw her arms up, "I thought you said he had only talked to you three times in your life." He nodded, and swallowed thickly as if he was trying not to get sick.

"And that," he said, stiffly, "Was one of them." Her eyebrows furrowed down.

"Wait, what did he say?" By the sound of Pollux's tone before, she never expected the conversations to ever be important, but now she realized that they were more important then she assumed. He shook his head at her.

"It was…It seemed like a million years ago…But it was the night before I left. It was like four in the morning, and I couldn't sleep, I was half-crazed. I didn't understand why he decided to give me a prophecy – Finding the Ghost King is hard! Not a quest for a son of Dionysus if I can't have a prophecy! But he wouldn't give me one, so in the middle of the night I stalked into his room – And Connie, look, Dionysus is a jerk, nobody just walks into his room. He appreciates his sleep – And I just start screaming at him. Calling him a lousy dad and saying he was a horrible person for not trying to talk to me more in my life and not protecting Castor and everything, and he just sat there and took it. And then I blamed him for not caring about my quest, and honestly…I'm surprised he didn't blast me right there. At first, he was silent, as if the scene was just a dream, but then he said, 'What are you? Drunk?' Of course, then I got more mad when I realized that he didn't think I had any courage to yell at him without having toxins in my body, so I flipped out more, but right when I was about done, he interrupted me," He rambled fast, "And he said to me, exactly 'Well, since you're not going to remember this tomorrow, cause your drunk, I mine-as-well tell you that the reason I picked you was because you aren't some Hercules. You need wits to catch that kid. You need to be smart, not some pathetic demigod that believes attacking him will do anything.' And I just stood there, unable to speak, and I turned on my heel, and then when I was about to leave, he – Well, It isn't important. The important part is he wasn't lying to me. He wasn't just saying anything to get me to go away. He was telling me the prophecy right there." It took a long time for Connie to even realize what he just said, he spoke so fast and in a ramble.

"Wait," She said slowly, "Then what? We go back? Because if you're going to be logical about it, we can't get him, Pollux. We know that. It's impossible." He shook his head, his purple eyes wide.

"No, we do the opposite," He told her, "Nico thinks I'm rational, so we have to do the irrational thing." At first, she didn't understand.

"What then?" She spat angrily, "You aren't making sense." He swallowed thickly, as if the words were too hard to speak.

"I turn you in," He told her hollowly, "I give you to Nico."

**(imagine three dashes here)**

When the large boy opened his eyes inside the dark carve, he felt like death got him. His eye lids fluttered open when he heard somebody enter, not sure if what he was seeing was true or not. His body was barely working and he had been going in and out of consciousness. But he looked above him still, holding eyes with the person in front of him. A part of him got the idea of jumping him, but even the son of Eris knew boundaries.

"'di Angelo?" He murmured feebly, looking at the towering shadow. The boy's eyes showed hatred toward him, despise, but they were steady.

"Come on Jarr," His voice was flat, "If this is going to happen, we have to do it together." He stuck out his hand. At first, Jarr was apprehensive. Trust was on the line. But without a second thought, he took his hand.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

The lord of the dead strode through his castle silently. His dark eyes flickered behind him continuously, making sure his dear wife wasn't following him, and continued ahead with only a stick of fire in his hand. The long-abandoned hallways was empty, empty enough to continue his desire. Quickly, he strutted up the twirling stairs toward the highest room in the highest tower, a room nobody but him and one other person has ever been. When he got to the large wooden door he was expecting, he froze for a moment. Cold sweat was dripping down his neck, he realized, something that was unacceptable for the Lord of the Dead. He shook his head, leaving his doubts, and opened the door. He froze the moment he stepped in. His mind was past the musty smell that filled the room and the many cobwebs that took it up, smelling instead a strong spice perfume and looking at the dull walls that had once been painted dark red. His eyes briefly evaluated the room: A large canopy with a drape, an old-fashioned wooden dresser with an oval mirror balancing on top, thousands of papers and pictures that he once taped on the walls in obsession. He ignored all of it, not letting his eyes linger too long and walked over to the closet. Slowly, the god opened it. He shifted through the many dresses, until he got to the very back. He crouched down, reaching for the small box that lay absently on the closet floor.

He wiped the dust off of the small wooden box, once a beautiful container for jewelry, and tipped the lid. But instead of beautiful jewelry, he found something much more valuable to him. A black glove.

He picked it up, feeling it, memories relishing in his mind.

"Maria," He whispered, a burn hitting his eyes, "When will you come?"

**AN: Okay, first off, sorry it took a while to update. I just got to a four-week writing course outside of the country, so I'm not going to lie, these updates aren't going to be as quick D: And yeah, I didn't mean to put 'god of revenge' on the last chapter xD Accidental. Uh. I'm tired. Uhm, sorry for mistakes. Review.**

** Thank you ****Helios Spirit, Singer24, SunnyA333, my dazed secret lover, proudtobemuslim, nikkidoesntknow, pjo3, starstruck93, .N, oh-not-so-secret-lover, ****lilianlawrence, Artemis-girl123, and ****ale-wholikessoupandotherthings**** ;) Sorry if I missed your name, email is messing up**


	13. The Poisoned Apple

AN: I apologize beforehand. FOURTEEN PAGES! WOOT!

Going to War

It was a full moon that night. To him, that meant many things – Luck, power, happiness. The boy next to him had a smile sprawled across his face, dark and tedious like he had known this had been happening all along. He didn't share the smile though – The whole thing seemed like a black-market trade to him. But before his acquaintance could see the unsure look on his face he turned his head up to the moon, trying to read its will. Was it going to be a lucky night? Was it going to be powerful? And would it, in any way, bring him happiness?

"You know, I knew all along that boy was going to be the chain to us," His acquaintance said, quite loudly, "I remember him at camp. Always cowering, always being a follower. I kinda like him." He smirked at Nico, but Nico turned his head toward the black grass in front of him.

"And you're sure he didn't harm her?" Nico asked again, "She can't be harmed." He glanced at his partner, and he saw him roll his eyes.

"Please, that guy doesn't have the nerve to squash an ant, nonetheless hurt a girl." But Nico wasn't so sure. Nico saw things that Jarr didn't. The boy was driven when he fell down that underground room. Nico saw him put his life in front of her when Jarr attacked her. How he got her away from the scene even though he didn't stand a chance if somebody stopped him. Was he really just a messed up kid who only wanted what he saw?

Nico shook his head, trying to pretend that the cold sweat dripping down his neck was from the chill in the air. He was fine. He was going to be fine. Or at least, that's what he thought until he saw the trees start to end and the hatred started to bore into his soul like lava. When he saw the figure between the trees his heart started to race, but Nico kept his pace steady.

"You got her?" Jarr's voice asked gruffly, stopping about five feet away. Nico looked at their new friend, trying stare into his eyes darkly, but he ignored his stare.

"You got what I want?" The voice replied. Jarr let out a scuff, and as if to prove it he pulled out the costumer's price.

"Right here," He said, a smile appearing. And then, Pollux pulled her out of the trees.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

"You got that? The plan? You understand?" Connie heard Pollux at a distance, and she nodded her head. His eyes were anxious, she realized, but it was his strength that was pushing her through this. The plan. How he made sure that Nico and Jarr got his note? He didn't tell her, and maybe that was a good thing because if he gave her too much information she may just back out. The plan…

"Any questions?" He asked, his eyes trying to find hers. She was going to shake her head, but then when the plan reran through her head slowly, something did blare into her mind.

"Pollux? What are we fighting for?" She asked in a small tone. His eyebrows shot down.

"What do you mean?" He asked as if the question was delirious. She shrugged, looking at the red sun coming down.

"What are we fighting for? You obviously don't want to bring Nico back to camp. What are we trying to do? What's this quest?" She asked him softly. His eyes looked at her sadly, as if he knew how hard this was to her. The plan. But he wouldn't know. He'd never know.

"Connie..." he sighed earnestly, "When people have a quest, it isn't direct. There's usually some sort've goal at the beginning, but by the end there is a totally different outcome. Physically, yeah, in the beginning it was supposed to find Nico but now I realized it's about stopping him." Connie didn't reply. She wrapped her arms around herself and took a deep breath. Nico wasn't a bad guy…He couldn't be a bad guy…The look in his eyes when she kicked that diary to him…The words he wrote to her…That tree, all so long ago. Lately, she had categorized him as a psychotic, betraying murderer, but now that the plan was in action she realized it was more than it was cracked up to be.

"Connie," She heard Pollux murmur, "It'll be fine, okay? It's going to be alright. I won't let them hurt you." She wasn't afraid of that, she wanted to say, she was afraid of everybody else getting hurt.

Her eyes looked up at him as she slumped next to the tree.

"And you'll be fine?" She choked, "You won't get yourself killed?"

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you," He said, but she knew he was lying. She knew that there was going to be a chance he would get hurt. And she, truthfully, didn't know what would happen if he died. Let herself be killed? Go back to Manhattan? No. She would be strong. She wouldn't stop fighting.

There was a long silence between them as they watched the sun go down. Would they make it back? Would they die? Would it be over for them? It was like they were going to war. What if it didn't work? What if it failed? She would die, and he would die too. Pollux tried keeping his composure straight, but she knew he was thinking about the same thing. But this is why they did it, right? Quests? To risk their lives? And she just happened to be in the middle of it. But it was worth it in the end, it would be.

Pollux didn't look at her until the moon was already up, big and bright like a shining guidance. His purple eyes found her's, not trying to hold the fear now. It wasn't too long after that till she heard crunches at a distance. She saw Pollux close his eyes for a moment, and she touched his hand. _It'll be alright. _

But then, he got up with a will she didn't understand, and approached them.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

_"Okay, Connie, so this is step one. You have to look sad. You have to look like I hurt you. Alright?"_

That was the first thing that Pollux had told her when he explained his plan, but she couldn't think straight when she saw Nico come from the shadows. It didn't help that she got a perfect spotlight from the bright moon. They were talking clearly, but her ears were ringing so loud that she didn't hear a single word. All she could do was stare at him. Nico looked like the last place he wanted to be was here. His hands were stuffed in his black pockets and his eyes were sharp and deathly. She couldn't help but realize that for some reason, he was making an effort for Pollux to look at him, but Pollux wouldn't give in. Either because Pollux hated him that bad or because he remembers what happened the last time he did.

Her eyebrows arched down, trying to read her once-friend. He was fidgeting, his jaw clenched. Her eyes stared into his, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

It was then that Pollux swerved toward the shadows though, towards her, and yanked her. She tried not to seem so surprised, but he came by so sudden she yelped. He didn't even look at her when he did it too – Either because he wanted to play this out perfectly, or because he couldn't look into her grey eyes and see the fear boiling in them.

He tossed her to the ground roughly in front of the two figures, and she made sure she fell to her knees. She didn't know how to pretend to be sad, but she knew how to be numb. Her fingers graveled into the ground as Jarr laughed.

"Well then, where's that strong girl inside of her?" He was speaking to her, and she was going to look up at him, but instead her eyes fell to Nico. He wouldn't look at her, she realized. His eyes were far away, into the trees.

"Strong girl?" Pollux gave out a sick laugh, "Is there such thing?" Connie resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Good point," Jarr agreed, "All these girls, thinking they can beat a man, don't they understand that they were born weak?" Her teeth clenched. She had to look pathetic, she had to look numb, she had to look broken. But even broken, she would've stood up and smacked him. Her eyes remained on Nico though, trying to get him to look at her. To be a man. To look her in the eyes. Her teeth grinded together.

"Nico," Jarr said, "Could you take Calley away?"

"Connie!" Pollux corrected instantly, probably out of habit, but then he recovered with a choke, "Connie! Pay your respects! You guys don't have to drag her away, just tell her. She'll obey you. She knows the consequences if she doesn't." She could feel dirt clog into her nails, cursing Pollux's name under her breath. She heard Jarr give out a chuckle.

"What do you think, Nico?" He asked in amusement, "Maybe we can keep her for a few days, eh?" Dying seemed just as bad. Connie's eyes flickered up at Pollux in annoyance, and his eyes caught slightly but then looked away.

"Whatever," Nico replied with a disgusted scuff. Pollux's eyes flashed.

"You have an issue there, Zombie Boy?" She knew Pollux was just saying this to blow steam, "I did you a favor." Nico's eyes looked like hot, black-iced daggers.

"And where are you going after this?" Nico said, just as coolly, "Back to camp?" Pollux was about to open his mouth but then Jarr interrupted quickly.

"What my buddy Nico is trying to say was that we were wondering if you would want to join us." As if to make the idea sound pleasant, he slung his arm around Nico with a smile, though Nico didn't share it.

Connie's eyes filled with relief.

_"If this works, they'll invite me to join them." _

"What?" Nico hissed at Jarr, but Jarr ignored him.

"We have a whole camp," He said to him, "Tents and everything. Pretty nice, eh?" Pollux pretended to consider it.

"Yeah, fine, sure," He said, after a long moment and a smile, "I'll join you. But my price?" The price was at his feet, but he knew that one wrong turn could mess up everything.

"Well, it's right in front of you," Jarr replied gruffly, "Come on. We need to go before the wildlife comes out – YOU! GIRL! GET UP!" She looked up at Jarr, about to give him a harsh stare but then purple eyes flew into her vision.

"Come on," She heard Pollux whisper under his breath as he grabbed her arm and pulled her up with a jerk, "Just follow along." As she got up, she saw Nico's eyes look at her. She knew what he was thinking. _What are you really doing? _But she felt Pollux's grip tighten.

She gave one last look into Nico's eyes coolly, shaking her head as if to say a million words, and walked forward.

**(imagine three dashes)**

"Wow, this is _so_ cool." No, it wasn't cool. It wasn't cool at all. She looked at Pollux, quite sharply as she looked at her surroundings, and stared away.

Much like the underground room, they were in a cave. Not much but a few tents, a fire, and some junk. Nico slipped into a comfortable chair, as Pollux roamed around with her at the entrance. Jarr went to their stash of chips, threw one to Nico, another to Pollux, but then looked at Connie without pity.

"Sorry, no more." He wasn't sorry. She took a deep breath. _Hailey, if you saw me right now, you'd probably kill me, my feminism-freak-sister. _But she didn't show any huge emotions. She folded her arms across her chest, a breeze coming in as she did so. She stood there silently as the boys sat down and stared at her. She let her eyes rest on Pollux, the only one who seemed calming to her.

"Kill her tonight? Tomorrow?" Pollux asked, and Connie took a shakey breath. A dangerous step Pollux, she thought to herself.

"Mm," Jarr said, staring at her to the point it was uncomfortable, "I think we should just keep her around. See how far she goes until she goes mad." Her teeth clenched.

"We should just kill her, guys," Nico said, as if cutting her a break, "Theres no reason to hold her by a string." He said this so casually it sickened her. She looked up at him, her eyes narrowing in a way she didn't know she ever would. But he wouldn't look at her. Instead, he was carving something – A black stone of sort. Jarr's eyes narrowed at her as if she was an animal at play.

"Nah," Jarr disagreed lightly, "I think she should beg for death before she gets it." Nico's knife flew to the ground instantly, and even though they didn't notice, Pollux reached for his.

"NO!" Nico screamed madly as he jumped to his feet bravely, his face into Jarr's, "You want her to take the night? Fine! Go ahead! But I'm not turning this into one of your sick jokes, Jarr!" At first, there was silence. A loud one. After a moment, Pollux got up smoothly, slipping the knife in his pocket.

"I'm going to sleep," He muttered casually, "One of you guys get the city-girl, would you?" Before either could reply Pollux strutted to an empty tent, but before he slipped in he held up two fingers.

"_Stage two: Know the Enemy."_

"Go." The words came from Jarr's voice. Connie's eyes redirected to them, evaluating them slightly. Jarr was up on his feet, an inch or two from Nico. Nico was solid as stone.

"Go?" Nico repeated. Jarr nodded.

"You need some sleep," He said to him generously, "I'll watch the girl." Nico's eyes narrowed.

"I don't trust you with the girl," He said fiercely, his finger flying in the air, "You'll torture her!" Jarr laughed under his breath.

"What? You think I'm going to rape her or something?" By the look on Nico's face, he wasn't too sure of anything.

"Look, just go to sleep!" Jarr said sharply, angry now, "Go on! GO!" Nico's eyebrows furrowed down.

"NO!" He screamed, "I'm watching her." This took Connie a step back. Her hands unraveled to her side, curious of whether Pollux was watching this through his tent.

"Nico, you really want to watch her?" Jarr asked coolly.

"Yes," He said firmly, guilty butterflies spinning in Connie's stomach "I do." Jarr's eyes narrowed.

"You know she is going to die tomorrow?" A horrible, sickening feeling boil replaced in her stomach. She tried to ignore the idea by looking at Nico, but he only made her feel worse. His eyes were empty, as if his nightmare had finally started.

"Whats your point?" Nico spat, but she heard the tremor in his voice.

"Bro, you don't want to do that," Jarr told him as he put his hand on his shoulder. Connie tilted her head sideways at Jarr. Was he being sympathetic toward him? Did he really care? Or was he just a manipulating jerk?

"I mean," Jarr said, putting his hands up, "If you really want to-"

"No," Nico said suddenly, and she could hear the tiredness in his voice as he rubbed his eyes in frustration, "No, you're right. I'll just…I'll just go back to my tent. And sleep. Yeah, that's what I'll do." He seemed confused as he walked away toward a nearby black tent. It wasn't until she heard the zip that Jarr finally looked in her the eyes.

For a split second, she had fear for what was going to happen to her. Why did Jarr want her alone? So he could kill her himself? So he could rape her, like Nico suggested? Like he could torture her until she went mad?

"Well, what?" He asked sharply, "Don't look at me! Do you want your last night of sleep or what?" Her eyes stared into his, trying her best to remain strong without truly showing it. She wondered what was in Jarr. What made him good and evil at the same time.

"You're right," She gave her voice a little shake, "I guess since it's my last night…" She layed down on the rocks and let her eyelids fall.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

_"This is the scariest part Connie. This is the worst part, but if you succeed, everything will be fixed." _

She never fell asleep. She tilted her head toward her side, glimpsing at the rock-like-boy only a few feet away from her. It only took a few minutes for her to hear his snoring. She huffed under her breath as she sat up to look at him.

"I could choke him," She whispered to herself in despise, "I could stab him in the heart right now…" But she wouldn't. She had a job. And if she backtracked, it would be just as bad as failing. Not just her, but Pollux too, would die.

She got up to her feet lightly, staring at the only tent left – Jarr's. She took a deep breath, trying to rethink her plan as her head started to beat rapidly.

She remembered how Pollux told her who Jarr's mother was. Eris. Apparently, she was the woman who basically started the Trojan War, with just an apple. After a while, whether it was her true symbol or not, she was known for the 'apple'. Now, when she gives gifts to her kids, it's always has to do with an apple. An apple seed, an apple cord, a plain apple. But, with a magical twist. Pollux told her it wasn't unusual for a demigod's god-parent to send gifts revolved around their symbol, but also according to Pollux he said that his gifts were medieval. And that is how Jarr opened the underground room. He had some sort've crushed apple leaf, and it reopened the seal, but so what? It doesn't mean he has anymore. It doesn't mean anything. It could've just been one gift.

"But I have to do it for Pollux," She whispered to herself again, "I have to do it for him."

She tiptoed to his tent, with her heart beating like a hammer. Tunnel-vision seemed to take over when she unzipped the tent lightly. Immediately, a fruity sense seemed to whiff at her. She blinked for a moment, but then regained her posture and took a step in.

The place was pretty modern. A cot-like-bed, a cooler, some food in the corner, an old laptop, stuff like that. She snooped around, going through his clothes, looking under his bed. She went across photo-albums, old coke bottles, everything. She started feel cold-sweat drip down her neck as she did so. But it wasn't for a while did she see the pile in the far, almost invisible, corner.

She walked toward slowly, more cautious than ever. They were zip locked bags, she noticed, with weeds inside them. Some apple-seeds. Some cords. Some straight apples. She sunk down next to the hundreds of small baggies, and felt the sweet serendipity inside. For the first time since this plan started, she felt secure. She felt safe. She felt like everything, for once, was going to be alright. She had never appreciated her life so much at one time.

"Pollux, you were right," She whispered under her breath. But it was then that she realized that a shadow was hanging over her. A dark, long, shadow. A part of her was praying to the gods she didn't believe in that it was Pollux, but she knew it wasn't. Pollux was aggressive, loud. He probably would've yelled at her for making such a scene, rather than just gathering their weapons and going out. Because that's what the plan was. _To turn their weapons into ours._

"And what," The voice was slow and painful, "Are you doing?" She turned away slowly, the baggies of weapons in her hands and a damn good strong look on her face. Her eyes were fierce as she turned around, the grey eyes turning into a black storm. She looked Nico di Angelo square in the face as he looked at her in half shock and half anger.

"You should've known better Nico." And then her fists unclenched toward him, with every baggy landing near his face.

At first, time went slow. Not slow enough though. Nico tried making a barrier, but the moment the baggies opened it was too late. The mixture of weapons whipped at him. The barrier he tried to make rebounded and ended up twisting around him like his own monster. He gave out a yelp.

As if to make it any better, he tried making another stone, but it didn't work. It rebounded at him, making the reoccurring scene. He was closed in his own weapon. He was helpless.

"Connie!" He yelped loudly, as if they were friends again, "Get me out of this!" His voice was desperate, like the Boy in the Tree that she remembered. She shook her head.

"I can't," She told him honestly, in a flat tone, "You'll kill me." He struggled with his stone, but his eyes looked at her darkly.

"You still don't understand," He told her impatiently, as he squiggled "You still don't get it, do you? There's something different about you Connie, something you don't know about!" A fire burned through her veins, the closest thing to hatred.

"Rubb-" Suddenly, a pain hit her in the head. Her knees collapsed and she found herself on her back. Stars in her eyes, she saw Jarr hanging over her with a thick stick.

"_You bitc-"_But then, just as Jarr was going to take another swing, a rock came out of nowhere, smacking him in the head.

"HEY!" She heard Pollux's voice roar, "THE ONLY PERSON WHO IS ALLOWED TO CALL MY GIRL _BITCH _IS THE GUY THAT MADE HER ONE!" That started it. Jarr rolled over, obviously completely unaffected by the blow, with a sword unsheathed. He stumbled toward Pollux, the tip toward him. Pollux didn't move.

"You evil little trait-"

"POLLUX! MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!" She screamed just in time. Jarr swung toward him, making him fall. Connie scrambled away from the battle scene. Pollux unsheathed his sword as well, but apparently he was just as bad as Nico told her – Jarr disarmed in a minute. She was about to run toward him, but then a voice interrupted.

"CONNIE! GET OUT OF IT!" The voice was Nico's. It wasn't that she was listening to him – It was more of the fact that she actually forgot about his existence. Her head turned on instinct, looking at him a second too long. She shifted her head back at the scene urgently, expecting Pollux to be in pieces because of her delay, but she saw something much more mouth-dropping. Jarr was being held up in the air by thin vines. She stumbled away in shock, as the vines twisted him around like a puppet. This time, as Pollux used his Dionysus-powers, there was no appreciation in his eyes, but yet hatred. Deep, purple hatred.

"ARGH!" Jarr screamed, slashing them away, one by one. She noticed how Pollux's hands were straining, by the popping of vessels she could see even at a distance. It was a fair match – Jarr, a skillful swordsman, and Pollux, the son of the God of wine. Jarr slashed them away as Pollux struggled to keep them stable.

"YOU WILL NOT WIN THIS, SON OF DIONYSUS!" Jarr let out a strained laugh, "Your father! A joke! He barely got onto the council!" Pollux's lips curled, and suddenly the vines rose to sixteen feet strong and stealthy.

"ATLEAST MY FATHER IS ON THE COUNCIL!" He roared, and a horrible noise came from Jarr. Suddenly, he let the vines go, probably hoping that Jarr would land in a position that would kill him, but Jarr, being skilful, landed on his feet. He repositioned his sword immediately, as Pollux panted in loss of energy. And then the battle begun.

She didn't know how long it lasted or how risky it went. One moment, Jarr would be in the air, dangling for his life, and then this next Pollux would be kneed to a wall, a sword at his throat. The fight, one after another, Pollux looking like he was dying and Jarr finally getting tired.

The scene was horrifying. There came a point when Pollux could barely stand, his breathing was weak and he looked like he may just die if a miracle didn't come soon. And for one moment, Pollux noticed Connie. His eyes were wide purple, a wine-colored bloodshot that filled the white part of his eyes. It was like he had a realization. That they were still in this. That they were still fighting. That they would not give up.

Immediately, he made a tight weave that separated everybody in the cave from Jarr. It was the most tightly tied weave she had ever seen, rising from the earth to the very top of the cave. Probably thirty feet high and five feet thick. She didn't stop him from falling to his knees, panting. Immediately, she ran over, lifting his face to her's. They shared the sorrow.

"You can't do this anymore, Pollux," She whispered, her voice feable and flat, "I can't watch you do this to yourself." His eyes seemed to grow stronger, a purple wave pushing through.

He jerked himself from her, trying to prove his strength and stood up, backing away from her. Connie could hear Jarr's angry screams.

"What?" He spat in disgust, his nose flaring, "You're going to give yourself over?" She bit her lip.

"I'm not afraid of death-"

"HELL YOU AREN'T AFRAID OF DEATH!" Pollux suddenly came out in a roar, "I don't care! You're fighting with me Connie!" She shook her head, trembling.

"I can't fight anymore, I can't watch this," She strembled. Pollux staggered to his sword, and threw it at her, making sure it landed in her hands. She looked at it in horror.

"What? What is this?" For a moment it seemed like he was asking her to kill herself. He started to step toward the vines, but the loud screech of her voice stopped him.

"NO!" She screamed, "YOU AREN'T GOING ON A SUICIDE MISSION!" His dark purple eyes flashed at her.

"Watch the boy," He demanded, jerking his head toward Nico. Her mouth parted.

"Watch him?" She asked, feeling her stomach do a twist, "NO! IF YOU'RE GOING BACK IN, TAKE IT!" She swung the sword at him, making sure this time it landed in his hands.

"I don't want it," She said shakily as she stared to back away, "You can go back in if you want Pollux…I won't stop you…But take it! I don't need it!" His eyes narrowed, and he threw the sword back at her as if it was a hot potato.

"And if _he _comes out?" He pointed at Nico like he was an animal, "That stuff won't last forever, Connie! His stones will stop rebounding and he _will _kill you!"

"AND YOU'LL DIE IF YOU DON'T GO OUT WITH A WEAPON!" She screeched, tears spilling down her face suddenly, like a hot river, "I DON'T CARE ABOUT ME, I CARE ABOUT YOU!" Suddenly, the sword was being thrown back and forth between each other continuously.

"I'LL BE FINE!"

"POLLUX, YOU'RE DYING!"  
"AND SO WILL YOU IF YOU WON'T TAKE IT!"

"WHAT IF I DON'T WANT IT?"

"I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T WANT IT! YOU HAVE TO DEFEND YOURSELF!"

"I DON—DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO USE IT!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN '_YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT'! _YOU STAB AT HIM!"

"YOU SAY THIS AS IF I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO KILL HIM!" Just as Pollux was going to throw it back, he froze. His eyes, which were once wine-colored in frustration, turned into a soft grape.

"What?" He asked softly, his voice barely audible. Her teeth chattered.

"I…I…I can't kill him. I'm not strong enough to do that!" She stumbled, "I'm not strong like you and Jarr and, and Nico! I can't kill somebody!" His head tilted.

"Connie…You're stronger than all of us," He said, his voice at awe, "All of us put together. Ask Nico! I bet even that dimwitted lunatic would agree!" His eyes stared at Nico darkly, and finally she turned to him, Nico's eyes intrigued by the scene. He didn't say a word.

"All of us…" Pollux said, suddenly in distraught, "We kill for the kill, Connie. But you…_You…_You're selfless. You're brave. You know better. You believe in hope and second chances and…And love. It's hard for us to believe in that. We're born to fight. That's what we do. Demigods don't even hesitate to kill somebody. We're corrupted and disgusting and medieval. But you…It means you're stronger if you can't kill somebody on instinct. If you second-think your actions before you do it." There was a silence, and suddenly Connie remembered how Pollux once told her how he hated the thought of being a demigod. Training, almost dying, watching other people die, and have to start the entire horror story over and over again. She didn't know if she agreed with him, but she could tell by the gleam in his eyes that he was serious.

"That's not true! I'm not selfless or brave or strong!" She heard herself say in defense, "I left my family! I deserted them! For a guy who wants to _kill _me! I'm pathetic!" Pollux slid the sword toward her, hitting her feet gently.

"You were going to leave anyways Connie. You weren't made for that city. You were too big for it," He told her honestly, "He was just your excuse." She was quiet this time, trying to think of what truly had made her leave.

"And you would be able to kill him," He told her honestly, soft and at a distance, "If you thought he was in danger to himself." He was about to turn toward the vine, but suddenly, she felt herself run to him. She twisted him and threw her arms around him tightly. At first, Pollux was stiff, as if he had never been given a hug, but then after a moment, she felt his hand press against her back. And for that moment, that one moment, the world was away from them. Where Nico wasn't behind him, and Jarr wasn't screaming, and they weren't in a deathly cave where both of them would most-likely be killed.

That everything would finally be alright. Pollux let go of her, looking down at her, and as if she was a younger sister, he kissed her on the cheek.

"Everything will be alright," He promised, and with a smile, he stepped through the weave of vines like it was butter.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

She distracted herself with the fire. Yellow and red flames flickered at her, and obediently she tendered them with Pollux's sword. She ignored the screams in front of her, the fidgeting boy behind her, and the smell of death that drenched the air. Her eyes didn't lay off it – The flickering energy that seemed to bounce off the coal. She stared into it deeply, nearly losing herself into the heart fire, but as long as the fire burned strong, she would too.

Of course, this was after she stared at the wall of vine blankly. She stared at it for probably twenty minutes, still feeling Pollux's kiss on her cheek, until she turned around and saw the fire was dying. But the fire couldn't die. Something told her to fix it. To churn it.

She continued to stick it, tumbling the coals over in a pattern, keeping it at a steady pace. It was almost a pain reliever – She didn't think about anything else when she did it.

"I met the woman who taught me how to make that fire," A voice interrupted. She turned around calmly, looking at the eyes of Nico di Angelo. There was a silence.

"She told me that home was at the fire," He stumbled a bit, as if surprised that Connie didn't cause an outbreak over him speaking, "And at home, you could not lose hope." At first, she didn't say anything, but yet nodded mutually.

"Smart lady," She murmured, her eyes redirecting at the flames. Was this why she tended the fire? To keep hope?

"She helped me when I needed somebody most," His voice sank, as if he was talking about somebody who had died, "When I lost myself in death." She turned her head back around coolly.

"Are you telling me this to put pity on you?" She asked coolly, "Because I won't. You can sit there…And…And…" Her voice disappeared, because she couldn't say it. _Rot _was such a hard word to use on somebody that you could possibly still love. His facial expression was abnormally calm.

"Okay," He said simply, and turned back toward whatever else was keeping him busy. Connie watched him silently as he started to conjure pebbles, probably aiming to hit the wall, but each one rebounding toward him, adding to his colossal cocoon. It was like his own powerful abilities were turning against him. There was a vulnerable flicker on his face – Something she had never seen. For a moment, she even felt bad for him. For a moment, at least.

"It's not going to work," She said out loud, without thinking about it, "It's just going to make it worse." But she could tell that Nico didn't like giving up. He would always keep trying until he hurt himself, and even then he would pick himself up one more time and do it all over.

"Maybe," He admitted lightly, "But I like the surprise. When everything seems like it's burning to hell, and then suddenly it…It works." His eyes seemed to look at the flame now, as if looking back on memories that he had lived for.

"I didn't mean to hurt you," He said after a moment, and she turned away from him, "If anything, I'm trying to make you not hurt." She didn't get angry that time, surprisingly. She was too busy thinking about Pollux. She didn't have the energy to get angry at Nico.

"Connie-"

"Shut up," She snapped, "Just _shut up!" _ She jumped to her feet, more impatient then mad. Her teeth grinded against each other.

"My friend! My _only _friend is dying because of you!" She emphasized friend deeply, just to see the choke in his throat, "He shouldn't be here! He—He shouldn't have to deal with this! He should be at camp, drinking hot chocolate, talking to his friends, and…" Her voice failed to continue. She didn't know where Pollux was supposed to be, but it wasn't supposed to be here.

"He's not your only friend, Connie," Nico said lightly, "I'm your friend too." At first, her eyes widened in disgust, but then a cold cackle came out of her throat.

"You're talking about yourself?" She asked harshly, "You tried KILLING me! Friends don't do that! Friends don't try taking your life away!" If he could get out of the cocoon, she knew he'd reach for her, but instead he stayed there tangled into his own divine.

"No, Connie! Please, just hear me out! You read my journal, you r_ead _it! I am your friend!" He begged, "Just please, believe me! I'm trying to help you!" She was quiet at first, in dark awe, but then she shook her head.

"You're psychotic, that's what you are!" She said, stumbling back and pointing at him violently, "You may be the son of Hades, but you…I defended you. When Pollux said you were a creepy little kid who didn't have anything but his own agenda, I flipped out on him! I thought he was a sick jerk who only cared about himself! When now, I realize it was true…It's you who is the sick jerk." He looked like she hit him. The expression on his face had so much pain that it was hard for her to look at.

"You don't mean that Connie," He said to her, and it sounded as if he was telling himself too, "You wouldn't if you knew. You wouldn't if you listened." She threw her hands up.

"Then go ahead!" Her voice rose, "Tell me your deep-oh-so-worth-it-kill! It's not going to change anything!" He stopped struggling against his cocoon and sat up as right as he could, and nodded.

"A long time ago, there was this woman called Delphi-"

"Yeah, yeah!" She snapped, "I had Greek Mythology, I know who the Oracle is!" His eyes hardened.

"Her spirit has been passed down to the next mortal who is willing to take her, and once the mortal dies, it is passed down to the next," He swallowed, and she rolled her eyes impatiently, "Even right now, Delphi has a host. But nobody ever realized…Delphi had a mother." Connie blinked.

"No, she didn't," She argued instantly, "She was a spirit given by Apollo." He nodded slowly, as if he was the teacher and she was the student.

"But she had a spiritual mother. One that Gaia personally made," He told her, swallowing, "It's – Her – Name is Andromeda. She isn't known because she had never been released." Her eyebrows furrowed down.

"Why?" She asked, slightly intrigued into the situation, "Why wouldn't Gaia release her?"

"She was too powerful," He said simply, "Her mind was too complex. Her future was too complex. Everything about her was too complex."

"And why don't the Gods just go and have lunch with her so that they can all be great big friends?" She said sarcastically. He almost laughed at that, she could tell, but he shook his head patiently.

"Because she's…Oh, man…How do I explain this? Think about it like this," He told her thoughtfully, "She is more powerful than all the Gods and the Titans…Put together. All those twelve gods, the countless minor ones, and then the creators. All of them, Connie. If she wanted to, she could conquer them ." She tried to imagine it, based on what she had been told. She still barely believed in Gods, not even speaking about Titans. Not that she really cared, but still, the entire thought was too big for her head.

"And, plus," He gave an annoyed eye-roll, "The Gods failed to recognize it the moment she had been told about. They thought it was crap. And for a while, it actually made sense. Andromeda was such a huge spirit, it would be nearly impossible to find an appropriate host. I mean, there was no prophecy either. Usually, the host spurs out quests and prophecies and everything out of random for the rest of their life. And then they die. And Delphi has a new host. If you look at history, every host died naturally. But history was wrong.

"Every time one died," Nico continued, "They were always in a prophecy. A prophecy about Andromeda. But they could never finish it. Only after one or two words, they'd just die. Collapse. All the gods, they said they shouldn't worry because it wasn't finished. Theres no reason to. But they don't understand…Andromeda kept trying to speak inside of them, and that's what made them die. What took away their own powers. She was too big" Connie was quiet.

"Everything in the Underworld is spurring. We don't know why – Nobody does. My dad doesn't care because he said that's what Hades should be – Hell. But I knew that wasn't right. Something was happening. I was having weird dreams – Powerful demigods have weird dreams – And then I started looking at history, and started talking to ancient spirits, and…We think Andromeda finally found a host. But she's going in slowly. She isn't going in fully, like she has tried before. Right now, she's only probably in their blood, and that's it." At first, Connie was silent. Speechless. Until she knew her arms in the air again.

"Well, then go find her!" She snapped, but then she realized something. Her eyes widened, her mouth parted.

"You think she's me, don't you?" She asked softly.

**An: I'M SORRY I'M LATE! I'M AT CAMP! AND I KNOW IT WAS LONG! BUT IT WAS ONE OF THOSE CHAPTERS THAT YOU HAD TO GET THROUGH! I know, I know, its fast and crappy writing, but whatever. Uhm. PLEASE REVIEW. PLEASE. One chapter, I got twenty, and then the next I got like four. I can't get on my email now, but PLEASE REVIEW**

**I CAN'T KEEP GOING IF NOBODY REVIEWS. It's just, I don't have the motivation. That's why this took so long. It can just be ONE word. I don't care. Just a click of a button. **

**I feel like there was something else I should say, but I forgot. **


	14. Being Wanted

In Your Arms

Unusual light shone through her hair as she walked gracefully down the red isle. She was a beautiful angel – Dressed in a flawless white gown that dragged to the floor, with pearl white gloves and a decorative veil that fell across her fairy-like face. Taking a deep breath, she looked at the man in front of her, whose attention seemed off at a distance. It should've been at her, she thought to herself, the most graceful of them all.

"Lord?" She asked, tipping her veil back. His eyes peered up, and she tried to find any emotion in them as he looked at her. There was a surprise, but that was it.

"My love?" He asked, confused as he got up from his throne, "What are you doing here? It's March. You were supposed to leave last week! Is there something wrong?" To anybody else, it seemed loving. Like he was in surprised happiness. Like he felt lucky. But she saw through it. She knew he didn't want her here. She knew he was cursing himself inside. She knew that he did not feel lucky at all.

But she kept her eyes calm. Neutral. Nothing out of habit.

"Call of the boy," She demanded chattily. His eyes seemed to flare for a moment, the welcoming expression turning to the old defensive one.

"What?" He hissed angrily.

"That _boy_!" She said, silkily, rolling her eyes "Call him off. It's _so _useless. It's only going to prevent more havoc." His face grimaced.

"Please, the son of Eris is no threat. He's a puppet. That's all he is," He told her casually as she grew closer to him. His black eyes watched her carefully.

She sighed dramatically.

"There are no such things as puppets, Husband," She told him firmly, "Haven't you learned that?"

"Why do you care Persephone?" He snarled accusingly as she walked around him toward a pile of grapes beside his throne, "What does the boy mean to you?" She looked up at him as he met her at the grape table. At first, her golden eyes were strong, piercing him, but then they softened to a bored gleam.

"He's lovely," She said simply, popping a grape in her mouth "He'd be a wonderful gardener!"

** (Imagine three dashes)**

At first, there was a ringing silence. And then Nico nodded.

She stared at him for a moment, at first parting her lips but then she realized words weren't enough for this. She didn't believe him of course, but she saw the seriousness in his eyes. She knew he believed it. He believed that she was the enemy. A pitiful, weak enemy. The look on his face was pity. As if he was murdering a small child. And even though she believed none of it, she despised the thoughts she knew was circling in his head. She was not weak. She was not a small child. Anger seemed to blow through her, causing her mind to swirl.

Suddenly, without thinking about it, she raised the long sword that dangled between her fingers and slashed it against her forearm. Her teeth gritted as the sword ripped through her skin, causing a fiery pain to shoot up her arm that she didn't expect, but she didn't let the pain affect the fierce look on her face.

She scooped up the excessive blood on her arm with the side of her blade, drenching it, and then tossed it smoothly to the feet of his cocoon.

When she looked back up at him she digested the half-horrified and half-stunned look on his face. She stood tall, looking at him with a patient expression.

"There you go," She spat in disgust, "There's your blood!" He was at awe for a moment, frozen with what to say.

"Go on!" Her voice grew stronger, "You desire it so bloody much, don't let me stop you from having a happy look on your face!"She saw him click back into reality instantly when he heard the harsh tone in her voice. She clutched her blood-covered knuckles.

He swallowed.

"Connie…" He said, his voice gentle yet in pain at the same time, "Your blood must be black." She looked at him, getting nothing from his words. He sighed.

"You need to be dead!" He said, anger dripping through his voice, "And it has to be a son of death to make it black." She stood there for a moment, almost humored how long she had gone along with this nonsense. _Black blood? _It was crazy. All of it. Every single last bit.

There was an uncomfortable moment between the two. Nico's eyes were trying to cling onto her's, while she was trying her best to let go. She shook her head.

"Nico," She said, her voice shaking almost, "I am not a spirit. I am a normal girl from Manhattan. Nobody is…Possessing me. I'm just a girl, okay? I'm sorry for…encouraging it…but…" He shook his head.

"NO! Connie! For the gods, listen to me!" His voice rose in frustration, "YOU WOULD NOT KNOW IF YOU WERE ANDROMEDA!" She took a dangerous step toward him.

"I know who I am. I am not being possessed! I am not going to destroy the world! I am not more powerful then the gods," She told him firmly, her eyes narrowing, "And you – y_ou _– will not be the one to tell me otherwise!" She swerved around coldly, leaning down toward the fire so that Nico couldn't see the look on her face. The look of falling apart.

"Connie, how far would you go to protect me?" His voice was serious, deep. Her eyes reflected into the fire, not daring to look at him. She bit her lip so she couldn't speak.

"Okay, fine," He said suddenly, a little harsh, "How far would you go to protect …Pollux?"

"I'd do anything." The words slipped from her mouth before she could stop it. She knew somewhere that it must've pained him, that it might've killed him for her to say that so quickly about somebody other than him. But she didn't hear pain in his next words.

"If Andromeda is inside you – I said _if! _– Don't you think I'm trying to do you a favor? You don't want that much power. Nobody needs that much power, Connie. It always turns to madness. You deserve to be content, happy, in a home with somebody you love rather than fighting!" He told her firmly.

"But I have always fought," She told him quickly, "I've fought for who I love. For what I believe in. For what I want! That's what I am, I am a fighter! I fight to live!"

"I know you do, but-"

"NO NICO!" Her voice roared and she swerved around one last time, "I will not let you manipulate me! I will not let you make me believe in this crap! I'm tired of this! I _am _a fighter. I was born a fighter. Won't _you _ever get that? I'm not a sad little girl. I'm not a pathetic mortal. I am a fighter!" His eyes grew deep, as if reciting something in his head.

"Last night, in my dream," He told her, choking slightly "New York City was burned to ashes. And you were in the middle of it. You were the one who burned the city to the ground. Don't you see how I am trying to save you?" Her lips didn't move. A flash of memory went through her mind of how Nico once wrote that he saw her above flames that filled the Underworld. How she was the one hanging on the cliffs, watching the scene. Letting the world burn. But she would never let that happen – She would never destroy anything.

Her eyes fell to the ground, looking at the gravel under her.

"Connie," She didn't look up at him, "Did you ever ask Pollux what his price was when he bargained our trade?" She didn't ask, she remembered. She didn't bother.

"I don't know," She said coolly, still looking at the ground, "Money? It didn't matter." She remembered seeing something at Pollux's feet, but it was too dark to see what. It didn't matter though – It was all about the plan. Not about the price.

"It was a death agreement, Connie. A death agreement that stated that wherever you are placed in death, that…_boy_ would be in the same place. If you were sentenced to Elysium, he'd be sent to Elysium. If you were sentenced to an eternity of torture, he would too. Do you think I'd agree to that agreement that if I wasn't totally sure about what I was doing? Do you think I'd do something that valuable if I wasn't exactly sure you were meant to be in my hands…dead?" For a moment, she felt like she was going to get sick. Her eyes looked at Nico's, black and lethal. She shook her head, not sure if she was disagreeing with him or trying to understand.

Pollux wouldn't agree to that. He didn't care about the price, it was just all about the plan. But then again, she remembered the look of doubt flickering in his eyes when they walked toward the boys.Doubtful, but yet at the same time, he knew it'd be alright. Was that why? Because even though they were on the edge of dying, it didn't matter because they would still be together in the end?

"No," She whispered to herself, "Pollux knew better than that. He's stronger than that…" But Nico didn't care about Pollux, she knew, he didn't want to talk about him.

"Don't you see what extent I'm going to?" Nico's voice lingered in her ears, "I wouldn't go that far to make a death agreement if I didn't know if your death was for your own good." His mouth opened again, before she could speak.

"Connie, I would never-"

"CON-NIE, DON'T YOU D-DARE LISTEN TO HIM!" Connie swerved around in instinct, looking at a person that barely looked familiar. Her eyes widened as she looked at the mangled figure. It was Pollux. She hadn't even heard him come. She must've forgotten about the screaming, the fighting, the murder. A pain of guilt hit her as she realized this. But he survived. He looked gruesome though – His clothes in shreds, blood taking over his body, she could see his chest heaving up and down.

She didn't care about Nico's delirious words. She ran toward Pollux, who was only standing up by Jarr's sword that he was clutching. She collapsed toward him, letting him fall on her and carefully bringing him to the ground. His eyes, oh his eyes, were wine-red.

"D…Don't listen to him," He coughed harshly, "D…Don't listen to him Connie. Don't you dare…" She shook her head at him, evaluating his crushed body.

"Jarr?" She asked him quickly, "Where is he-"

"I dunno…I dunno…No! Don…Don't leave!" Pollux gasped, as Connie looked around frantically, "Don't leave me…In this hell hole Connie!"

"I'm not leaving you, remember?" She said smoothly, clutching his hand, which fought for her's, tightly "We're partners, alright?" He was shaking, she could feel him shaking. Fear was mixed in his eyes, she saw. She tried to remain calm though, for him.

"I'm dying…I can feel it…" He murmured. How was it this sudden, she wondered. It wasn't too long ago that he was fine, and now he was swearing to her that he was going to die? She wouldn't accept that.

"Calm down, you'll be alright," She swore to him, "Just let me check your pulse…" His eyes seemed to light up.

"You know how to take pulses?" He asked, with a familiar sharp tone. She rolled her eyes, as she pressed her fingers to his throat.

"Yeah, I decided I didn't want to participate in Field Day so I decided to work the clinic," She laughed, "Your pulse is… slow, but it'll fine. Just-"

But then a cackling sound interrupted. Like an egg hatching, but much louder. Much more powerful.

She looked behind her.

"Oh my god," She murmured under her breath. Pollux was right – Nico's stone was finally spreading into pieces, falling to the ground like tears. She watched as the cocoon started to crack and then shatter, layer by layer. Her eyes widened and she found herself standing above Pollux, guarding him.

Nico was smiling. Not an evil smile, but an admirable smile. With his gorgeous black eyes gleaming. Like the smile you would have when…

"It seems like everything is burning to Hell and it yet it suddenly works," She finished outloud, repeating Nico's past words. She was numb until the moment Nico was out of his cocoon. He jumped up, landing on his feet. Connie's mouth dried up as she watched him conjure a rock. He slammed it toward a wall, and it didn't rebound. Connie felt cold sweat pour down her.

"Connie! What are you st…Still….Doing here?" She heard Pollux hiss behind her, snapping her to reality, as Nico continued to play with his powers, "L-LEAVE!" Her head turned toward him, snarling.

"NO!" She screamed. Beyond the blood, he looked furious.

"Connie, l-look at me! I a..am…dying anyways! Oh, don't loo-ok at m—m-me like that, I know I am!" He stuttered, "G-Go! Save yourself!" Her lips curled.

"Not without my partner, I'm not!" She growled. He squinted at her. She knew he wanted to say many things, but he wasn't dumb. She wouldn't listen to him, and he knew that. If he was going to die, she would die with him. No ifs, ands, or buts. They were going together if going at all. Nobody gets left behind.

"Would you st—stop…trying t-to play hero? If..If it… it hasn't occurred to you at all, I-I've spent half this quest trying to s-save your life and I am _not _going to quit no-"

"He doesn't have to die Connie." The voice was soft, gentle, calm. It came from right in front of her.

She looked at Nico di Angelo, his eyes seeming so easy to believe. Unlike his, her eyes were furious.

"What?" She asked him, her voice low. He was only a few feet away from her, but he seemed so much farther away. It was hard to be this close to him, she realized then, when he was in such reach.

"He doesn't have to die," He repeated abnormally calm, "I'll save him, if you come with me." Her eyes widened when he said that, horror piling in her. Who could bargain with somebody with something as great as a life?  
"He's not going to die anyways!" She snapped at him, and the negative voice in her head, as disgust filled her face. His eyes fell off her, and she followed his gaze. He looked at Pollux as if he was a dead body, with empty eyes. She bit her lip, trying not to throw up as she looked at the shriveled body under her with the look Nico was giving him. As if he was just another one that he has ever seen dead.

"He's going to die Connie," he told her quietly, "If he doesn't get help soon. And I can help him." Her breathing started to shake as she looked down at him. He did look like he was dying – He was bleeding everywhere. There was gashes on his face, long rips on his arms, his breathing was loud but yet shallow at the same time. His pulse wasn't just slow – It was barely heard. His eyes were closed. He was dying. There was no question about it.

"C—Connie!" Pollux scolded under his breath, blood oozing out of his mouth as he panted, "Don't…He's a traitor…I'm not going to…Don't…He'll only hurt you…." She remembered how Nico told her about Pollux's offer. She had never truly pictured Pollux dying, but how many times has he imagined her dying? She had more of a chance. She was the one marked dead. Was it like this? Because she was dying inside just watching him. Was the deal he made true? Because she felt so vulnerable now. She understood it.

"Pollux-"

"C…Connie," He gargled, "Don't…For me…" But there was no color in his body. It was just white skin and blood. She couldn't watch this, even if Nico could. She would never be able to watch this. Wincing, shaking, barely breathing herself, she looked at Nico di Angelo.

"Fine," She said, her voice a thousand miles away, "If you save him, I'll let you kill me." Something warm sizzled in Nico's eyes. Relief. Like he did something good. Like he was saving a life rather than taking one. He gave her a long look, but then turned toward his tent. He walked away from her, no words left behind.

"HEY!" She screamed suddenly as he went out of her sight, roaring in desperateness, "NICO DI ANGELO! YOU MADE ME A DEAL, YOU-" But then he came out of the tent with something in his hands. She was too upset to say anything. He walked past her feet, bending down next to Pollux with something in his hands.

Pollux's eyes, which barely opened when Nico leaned over him, shook his head.

"N—N—No, I will not…No…" But then, aggressively, Nico opened his mouth and shoved whatever was in his hands into Pollux's mouth. At first, Pollux choked, and she was about to scream at Nico, but then Pollux opened his eyes. The gashes around him, like magic, seemed to…Fade. Color gained back into his skin. He was breathing well, she noticed, he looked fine.

She stepped away, her eyes widening off Nico's healing skills. She was speechless.

"Uhh…" Pollux said, dazed as he sat up. Nico, before he could say anything else, shoved another piece in his mouth, and it seemed that's what made Pollux wake up.

"Connie…why is di Angelo here…" But then his healthy purple eyes widened, as if remembering, "YOU MORON! I TOLD YOU NOT TO! I TOLD YOU NOT TO!" She stepped away from him, wrapping her arms around herself, trying to look strong, even though she felt like she was the most weak person that has ever existed. She looked at Nico, forgetting about Pollux's screams.

"But one more thing," She said to Nico, looking at his dark eyes without fear, "I want to see my family. I want to see them one last time." At first, she expected him to say no. To say that that wasn't a part of the deal.

"Do you want me to come with you?" The question was a sick joke. Being escorted by her murderer? But his voice spoke as a friend, as somebody who truthfully wasn't trying to hurt her. She shook her head calmly.

"No," She told him firmly. She looked at the ground, just so she couldn't see him. What would it be like, she wondered, if Nico came with her? Would he be comforting and funny and charming, or would he only remind her of death?

"Fine," He said easily, "But I'm guessing you want to take…_him…_with you, don't you?" When she swallowed, her throat burned.

"You can visit the Underworld, he can't," She reminded him hollowly. His eyes seemed to pierce her's.

"And you promise on the River's of the Styx, that you'll come back?" He asked carefully, his eyes narrowing slightly. She found herself nodding.

"I swear on the River of the Styx," She said, without even thinking about it.

(imagine three dashes)

She didn't know when she started being conjured into the coldest tunnel of dirt that existed. She didn't know when she went through the horrible tunnel of dirt that it was the blackest black she had ever seen. She didn't know as she went through the mysterious tunnel of dirt that she was feeling death. All she knew, was that two seconds after making her swear, she was next to a New York street lamp, with a perfectly circular hole staring at her beside her.

She looked at it curiously, trying to understand how in the world a circular tunnel could just appear in the middle of the cement, when she heard (quite loudly), "WHAT IN THE GODS WERE YOU THINKING?" She jumped around, looking at the towering, fuming person in front of her.

"ARE YOU A MORON?" He roared, his purple eyes wide and dark, as he stepped into her face, "You know we have to go back now, don't you get that? Don't you get that all?" His hands gripped onto her arms tightly.  
"YOU, UNTIL YOU ARE MURDERED, ARE NOT ALLOWED TO MAKE ANOTHER DECISION!" He screamed in her face, spit flying out of his mouth, "I SHOULD'VE NEVER BROUGHT YOU ALONG, YOU STUPID GIRL! I SHOULD'VE JUST HANDED YOU TO HIM! YOUR LIFE APPARENTLY MEANS NOTHING TO YO-" She interrupted his words by colliding to him, wrapping her arms around him so tight that his words were cut off. She knew he wasn't angry – He was upset. He was distraught. He didn't want her to die. She saw the anxiety in his eyes, the scared look of losing somebody. A look he'd never admit. He was screaming at her in pain, not in anger.

She broke away reluctantly, staring at Pollux deeply.

"I-"

"Constance!"For a moment, time stopped. Her heart stopped beating. She felt dead already. Both of them turned around slowly toward the fancy apartment building in front of them, their eyes terrified because they were expecting somebody like her parents or the police.

Instead, they saw somebody much worse. Hailey.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

Hailey ushered them inside the apartment urgently and slammed the front door. Connie looked around her at the house she once lived in, and digested the surroundings that she had left. Hailey pushed them into the kitchen, giving her a whole-round tour of the home she decided to abandon; the fake happy pictures of the wall, the stack of clean clothes that were still, even when she told Hailey the day before to fold them and put them in her room, on the dining room table, all the toys hanging around on the ground, and the mounds of dirty dishes that hung randomly about the place as if nobody had the time. Something stuck in her throat as Hailey pushed them both down in chairs. She sat across from them, as if they were being interrogated. Her blue eyes were like fire. At first, there was a silence, but then she snarled. Connie was about to open her mouth and speak, but Hailey beat her.

"You have no idea what you have _done!" _ Connie blinked at her dumbfounded, surprised that she had done anything at all.

"What the _hell_ were you thinking coming here at four in the morning?" Hailey bursted from her chair, and for the first time Connie saw the large purple circles around her eyes, so strained that they were twitching. Connie opened her mouth, but she immediately failed.

"There is a million dollar bounty on your butt now for your pretty little idea of running away! Honestly, they've been everywhere – The New, the schools, the hospitals! THEY THINK YOU ARE DEAD! You know what they are doing right now? TALKING TO THE LEGISLATOR! I'M SURPRISED THE POLICE AREN'T GUARDING THE HOUSE!" Her voice rose. Connie looked at her, mouth parted.

"They…They are _looking _for me?" She asked, in awe. Hailey squinted at her, a look that could've made anybody go mad.

"YOU HAVEN'T SEEN? YOUR PHOTO IS EVERYWHERE! You know what you're being? Selfish! A selfish fucking, shallow hearted bitc-"

"_Hailey, watch your.." _Connie was going to scold her language, something she did in habit on a daily basis, but then she realized her language wasn't the issue.

"Everybody is freaking out!" Hailey exclaimed, and Connie noticed that Hailey's eyes were twitching because she was watching the windows, making sure nobody could see, not because of tiredness, "So freaked out, that now mom and dad are going to counseling! _Counseling. _Everything was doing fine, Connie! Everything was getting better, but then you left with this bo-" But then as if, for the first time, Hailey looked at the boy beside Connie, and something confusing flickered in her maddening eyes. Like she was seeing somebody she didn't expect to see. Her teeth clenched again, her fingers digging into the mahogany table.

"Who the hell is _he?" _She asked her shrilly. Hailey's eyes stared at her, wide in confusion. Pollux, whose hand was planted on the side of his face and elbow glued on the table, clearly looking bored, straightened up proudly.

"My name is-"

"I thought you went with that other boy!" She interrupted, her mouth parted slightly. Pollux's eyes narrowed and slumped back into his chair.

"Other boy?" Connie asked, blinking.

"THAT BOY IN THE TREE!" She yelped impatiently. Connie's eyes furrowed.

"Wait! How do you know about him?" Connie asked sharply. Hailey rolled her eyes dramatically.

"You mean the psychotic freaky gothic kid that tried jumping me once?" Hailey asked harshly, a new fire burning in her eyes. Suddenly, Connie felt more awake than ever.

"Nico tried jumping you?" Connie asked slowly. Hailey rolled her eyes impatiently.

"Well, he clearly missed because I'm still here, aren't I? I mean, honestly, that kid is as tall as dad! He would've killed me if he landed on me! But _yeah, _he did. And then, of course, one day I went back to that courtyard, and there I see you, chatting with him! So I started watching you, and…" Hailey's voice seemed to walk away from her ears. Her eyes phased out at a distance and she remembered something. Something she had read.

_The other day I nearly killed a girl who probably wasn't even out of middle school. I just had a feeling it was her, just a stupid feeling, and I took out my knife, about to kill her. I almost jumped down and dug it into her heart. I almost took away her life. The only thing that stopped me that the realization she had blue eyes rather than grey. _

Immediately, her hand threw to her mouth, trying to stop the sound of horror from coming out of her lips. Hailey…Hailey was the girl. _The _girl.

"Why?" She blurted suddenly, interrupting Hailey's rant. Hailey stopped talking immediately, blinking as if she her thoughts were completely thrown out the window.

"What?" She barked back.

"Why did you think I was going with him? I could've gone alone." She was expecting an obvious answer. Like that the tree didn't exist anymore. Or the observation that he left too. But then , as Hailey's eyes grew soft, she heard a quite different answer.

"Because, when I saw you guys…" Hailey's voice was tiny, "You looked happy. That was the only time you looked happy." An unusual pain hit Connie's stomach. Did she really never seem happy anytime else? Ever? She didn't like her home, but she didn't think anybody else knew it.

"Look," Hailey's voice recovered sharply, "That's not the point. The point is that you need to start figuring out a story because I'm not covering for you, and _you,_" She pointed at Pollux in disgust, "I don't know who the _hell _you are, but you have to leave!" Suddenly, Connie's face flushed, the blood draining. This was the moment. The moment she had to say goodbye.

"Hailey…" She said her name gently, and Hailey's eyes looked at her suspiciously, "I…That's why I came. I'm not…Coming back." At first, Hailey was quiet. Connie was waiting for the yelling, the screaming, the useless threats, but then she saw the most unusual thing. Hailey slumped back into her chair, and stared at Connie like a child seeing her first star. Connie realized quickly, as silence barred, that this was worse than yelling. Hailey never gave up, she was a strong person, but at that moment it looked like Hailey wasn't going to stop her. That she wasn't going to try. Not because she thought it was a useless cause, but as if, deep down, she expected it. Hailey shook her head at her.

"You know," She murmured under her breath, looking at Connie unusually, almost like she was seeing evaluating her for the first time, "You were always…Different. Always." Connie's mouth twisted.

"What?" Connie objected, her eyebrows furrowing, "I'm not different. That's why I left! I felt invisible!" The words were out there, the secret she didn't know if she wanted Hailey to know, but Hailey ignored her words.

"You were," She swore to her, "You always did weird things. You always...stood out." Connie gave her a confused look.

"How?" She asked.

"You don't remember?" Hailey asked in return, but then shrugged, "I don't know, all those weird things you could do as a kid. You were never…Like us. Like a Jennings. I always knew something was different about you. Always. Mom and dad didn't see it – Neither did the rest of the girls, but I did. I remember."

"Remember what?" Connie asked anxiously, for the first time curious about what Hailey had to say. Hailey's eyes seemed to flash.

"Like that one time…When this girl was making fun of me and you looked at her – Just _looked _at her – And she started crying." Connie didn't remember that, she didn't remember that at all.

"Or," Hailey continued, her eyes still on her curiously, "How you just knew everything. You were always so good at those guessing games and stuff. Like when somebody told you to pick a number – You were always right." Connie's eyes narrowed.

"Hailey, that was luck," She said slowly. But Hailey shook her head fast.

"No. You were good at everything. And you whenever you wanted something, you got it. And you wouldn't even have to ask. It was like there was something in your eyes that glinted and you got it. And everybody wanted to cherish you. But then, when they showed it suddenly, there was something in your eyes that told them to stop, and they did. You were the one who isolated yourself, Constance. It was like…And, then put aside the fact you got whatever you want without asking, it was like you didn't want society to define you, which is totally weird! Most people spend their entire lives trying to get society to define them – Hell, even me! I want to be a part of society so freaking bad!" Her rant started to become bitter, "But you…_you…_It was like you have this gift of...being strong."

Connie stood there silently, not knowing what to say. In a way, Hailey's words reminded her of Nico's. She wasn't different. She wasn't. She was ordinary. She was completely and utterly ordinary…right?

"I'm not going to stop you from leaving," Hailey whispered, "You were always too big for this city. You were always too good for it." Connie glanced at Pollux, and he seemed out of space too. As if finally, for the first time in his life, he had nothing to say. And it was Hailey's words that silenced him.

For the first time, Connie didn't want to leave. Her butt was glued on her chair and she didn't want to leave that spot ever again. Hailey's words were silencing.

"Haile-"

"Oh, sock it, Constance! Just go," She told her, waving her away, "Before mom and dad get home, just go!" At first, Connie was frozen, but then she felt herself stand up, walk around the table, and kiss her sister on the head.

"For the record," Connie said to her quietly, "I always wished I was you." Hailey, her eyes watery, gave her a small smile.

"But you knew better than that," Hailey finished, her voice happy but yet strained at the same time. Connie didn't know what to say, so she started to leave the kitchen, Pollux following her with purple eyes at awe, but then Hailey yelped at her.

"Connie!" Connie turned on her heel, looking at her gorgeous sister one last time. Her sister got up from the table, went through a cabinet for a moment as Connie stood there, holding her breath, and came back with a yellow envelope. Her eyes dropped down to it, and looked at it with astonished eyes.

"It's a letter…to me," She said to herself, her eyes looking at her name. Hailey nodded grimly.

"It came the day you left," Hailey said to her, "And…Well…I hid it from mom and dad. I hope it helps you with…whatever you're doing."Connie nodded, her eyes on it, and turned toward the door.

Before she shut it though, her grey eyes looked into the deep blue of Hailey's, "Goodbye Hailey." And closed the door before she could look back.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

Connie collapsed the moment she got to the porch. She sat down on the dirty steps and put her head in her hands. She was too shaken to cry. She was too broken to let go.

"Well," She heard Pollux say next to her, "That was deep." She said nothing.

"You wanna open the envelope?" Pollux asked nicely. She looked up at him and then back at the envelope. Truthfully, she didn't really care. Whatever was in it, it was probably something stupid. Like a letter from somebody at her school, or just another marketer, but still she felt her fingers wrap under the seal and tear it apart violently.

The paper was crinkled, and old, but still she slipped it into her fingers smoothly and opened it.

_Dear Connie,_

_ Sorry I had to leave, it was urgent, but I couldn't stop from sending you another message. You got the ring, right? I hope you did. I'm coming back next week, Monday maybe? You wanna meet somewhere? Somewhere other than the tree. What about at that Chinese restaurant you really wanted to go to? Remember when you told me you wanted to go there really bad but you had to go to your dad's conference? Anyways, meet you there? Four o'clock? Please :)_

_ Sincerely,_

_ Nico_

At first, she just stared at it, her fingers tracing it as Pollux read it over her shoulder.

"He…He wrote a smiley face," She said, blinking, but then something else blared in her mind, "Pollux what day is it?" At first, he gave her a twisted look.

"Why would I know that? Monday…Maybe Tuesday?" He asked sharply, but then suddenly he paled, he realized her words. He would've came back to kill me, she realized, if he hadn't seen her in the forest first. She felt her fingers touch the letter tighter, trying to imagine walking to a Chinese restaurant, imagining to finally talk to Nico again, to only realize he was going to kill her.

"He really wanted me to be happy, didn't he?" She realized suddenly, as she saw the hopeful note, "He would've just killed me if he didn't care, but he really did want to make it…Special, I guess." At first, nothing came out of Pollux's mouth, but then he bursted.

"Why are you constantly defending him?" He hissed at her, jumping from the step as his eyes swirled in anger, "Why can't you just accept that he's a bloody murderer and he really doesn't care about you?" Her mouth parted instantly.

"E—_Excuse me_?"

"You heard me! He's trying to kill you!" Pollux told her , as if she already knew, "What kinda guy does that?" She jumped on her feet as well.

"He thinks he has too!" She heard a voice in her snap, her eyes feeling like fire, "He thinks I'm…I'm…" She was about to finish her sentence with words she couldn't find, but then she saw the hate boiling in Pollux's eyes.

"A real man," Pollux said, slowly, "Would know that death isn't an option." Her body seemed numb, completely transfixed with the last twenty four hours. She slumped back onto the porch, putting her eyes in her palms.

"So, Pollux," She said, murmuring, "What's our next plan?"

**AN: Surprisingly long o.o I didn't know that this was *13* pages before I saved it. WOOP! Thank you reviewers: **julie662, Nico Di Angilo's girlfriend -3, lilianlawrence , Singer24 , StarStruck99, Spark of the forgotten , SunnyA333, and my secret lover 3

Oh, and all the stupid people who are apparently delirious because they decided to put me on subscription :P

Anywho, sorry for any bad edits (as usual). 

You want me to post faster? Give me a feed back. Even one word. PLEASE!


	15. The Black Glove

**Ignorance Is Bliss**

Her weapon rested on him, and she could only look in his dark eyes. For the first time, there was no pity in Nico's face as she pressed the cold blade to his throat, but yet a look of acceptance. A look of equality. It was too late though, she knew, she didn't care anymore. Her teeth gritted in response, only one thought in her mind. She gripped her weapon tightly, preparing for her moment as the weapon grew heavy in her hand. She shook her head at him, mimicking the words that seeped through her head perfectly, and without a second thought, slit the knife across Nico di Angelo's throat.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

"There are no more plans, Connie." Those were the words Pollux said as he led her through her favorite park. She knew that was what he was going to say, because he led her here. The spot where the tree once stood. She didn't need to hear him say it, she already knew her life was going to end soon. Pollux was calm, but she could tell by the faint purple circles under his eyes that this was just as hard to him as it was her.

"But it's just a promise Pollux," She told him, not truly understanding the whole 'River of the Styx' thing, "I mean…I know it's awful to break a promise…But it's just words." He laid down next to her feet, exactly where the tree was once planted, and she followed down next to him. He shook his head at her.

"Bad things happen, things worse than death, if you break that promise," He said hollowly as he put his arms behind his neck, staring at the stars.

"Which is why you brought me here," She finished for him, her voice mutual, "Because this was the only way we'd ever find him again." He didn't respond, just stared up at the skies, as if wondering what was next. What was after this horrible life.

"You know, I wanted to make parks," She confessed to him lightly, "You know, as a career. I know it sounds stupid but its just…Parks hold so much magic. So much happiness. I wanted to make a park like this – Where people could meet and become friends and…live." She expected a sneer to come from him, but instead he smiled.

"Atleast you had something," He snorted, "I was considering of making a vineyard. But I knew since I was a demigod…" Her eyes seemed to glitter, the words coming so light from his voice.

"You should," She said, her voice grew, suddenly dreams a big thing to her, "Life is too short to make things stop you. Do it for me, would you? Please?" He looked at her, with sad eyes.

"It's my job," He told her, "I have to go back. I'll always have to go back." A silence overcame them, as she tried to think of a way to argue with him. But maybe that was true. Maybe it was truly his job.

"I'm sorry about your quest," She apologized in a small voice,"I know you didn't get what you wanted." He propped himself on his elbows immediately, looking at her with those large purple eyes, which seemed so beautiful under the moonlight.

"Are you kidding me? I might not have the Ghost King but I found out more than even Percy could!" His voice rose in gleeful objection, but the happiness left immediately when he looked at her squarely, "Only because of you though. Only because you helped me." She touched his hand. She was about to say something comforting, but then something else flew out of her mouth instead.

"Don't forget about me," She whispered, a desperate tone hanging in her voice. His eyes, storming with horror, glittered at her.

"Of course I wouldn't!" He said sharply, "Gods…Why would you ever…" His voice disappeared, and he lay back down, knowing that there was nothing he could say to convince her otherwise. As the quietness grew, they both digested the surroundings. The beautiful skies, the beautiful water, the beautiful trees. Everything was just so beautiful. It reminded her how beautiful the earth could be when somebody wasn't destroying it. She closed her eyes for a moment, squeezing Pollux's hand, and she felt Pollux squeeze her's too.

"Wait," His voice interrupted the quiet moment, "There are trees over there." She opened her eyes, looking at Pollux's direction. She blinked.

"Obviously," She said surly, but his eyes looked blank. Like he was seeing something he had never seen.

"So why here?" He asked her.

"What?"

"Why did Nico pick this spot? When he could've just picked a spot with the other trees?" He asked her. She felt a lump fill her throat when he said his name.

"Because he wanted to get a bird's eye view," She said blandly, shrugging her shoulders, and then added bitterly "I dunno, maybe when I die you can ask him." But her words didn't change the confused, dazed look on Pollux's face. He let go of her hand, and sat up, looking around him like he'd never seen the park before. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"That doesn't make sense," He told her, looking around, "You'd get a higher view over there, on the side. Not in the middle. Not in the exact middle. If you think about it, if you had the entire courtyard in one view it would be easier to watch." Suddenly, she felt a jolt hit her.

"Wait, what are you saying?" She asked him, feeling a weird feeling pushing through her veins as well. He looked under them, at the grass where the tree once laid in awe. He shook his head, as if he was completely dumbfounded. Connie, on the other hand, was completely confused. He looked up at her, his eyes sparkling.

"Connie, what do you say about one last quest?"

**(imagine three dashes)**

In only thirty seconds after Connie agreed with him half-heartedly, he had already destroyed the place they were sitting on. Veins, thicker than her own body, was being pulled from the ground. Wind was whipping fast across her face, dirt plowing across the grounds. It was growing darker – The air, the skies, everything. She could barely see the stars.

"What are you doing?" She screamed at Pollux quickly, her eyes glowing, "YOU'RE DESTROYING THE PARK!" But he ignored her. He twisted one more time, his body straining as the whips of veins swirled like a mutant octopus, and then collapsed. He fell on his back with his hand clutching his chest, and she kneeled next to him, looking at the huge hole in front of them as the wind blew away and the dirt layed flat. The hole had to be fifteen feet wide all-around, not even speaking how deep it had to be. Her mouth was parted.

"Go look," He panted, his chest heaving tightly, "Go look…Inside the hole." She looked at him apprehensively.

"What?" She yelped, "You want me to look in there? Pollux, I can barely stand over here because I feel as if the entire ground will fall beneath me if I get any closer!" But his eyes were begging. And when you're about to die, you don't want to argue anymore. She got up slowly, walked over to the large hole as the ground continued to shake. It was a deep hole – Nine feet atleast.

When she looked over the ridge, she was expecting dirt, but then, her eyes caught on something. It was small, but it was there. Like a…Box.

"Do you see something?" Pollux asked anxiously, "Theres something in there, isn't there? The devil was hiding something!" It made sense now, she realized, all of it.

She jumped into the hole, fear not stopping her now, and dug her feet in the earth. She bent down, picking up the small box slowly, dusting the small specks of dirt off. It was just a brown box, average, but she had a feeling something was inside it. She tucked it beneath her arm and climbed up the hole sloppily. She clampered up, falling next to Pollux and put the box in his face.

"He was hiding something!" She panted, "How did you…" His eyes seemed to flare.

"It was obvious by the placement of his tree," He murmured, "He was hiding something, that's why he picked here. It had to be somewhere nobody would think of. Like, for instance, in the middle of Manhattan." Her eyes were looking at him in awe, trying to understand how she could have such a brilliant friend.

"Well, open it!" He said sharply, "I didn't just give myself a heart attack so you could stare at it!" Obediently, she tilted the lid, and when she did, her own head tilted.

There wasn't much treasures in it. An old book, some more pictures, a beautiful silver dagger, a few other things. She heard Pollux gasp behind her, taking something out, but she persisted to look through, digging her fingers in. She didn't stop until she felt something soft – Silkily almost. She took it out slowly.

It was a glove. A black glove. She felt herself slip it on her fingers slowly. Her mouth parted slightly as she felt the sleekness touch her fingers. It looked old, a few decades at least, but yet it seemed so new. For some reason, she was drawn to it. Something about it just screamed her name – It was beautiful. It held meaning. And, it fitted her fingers perfectly.

Her eyes could only dazzle at it, as Pollux scream exclaimations of amazement behind her from whatever he was touching, and take it in. She wondered what the story was of the glove, she wondered what it meant to her.

"What – Did you – Do – To my – _Tree?" _The talker came just in the right time. Quickly, even though she had absolutely no reason to, she slipped off the thin black glove and stuffed it into her back pocket. She looked up at the tall figure, who was staring darkly into their master-pieced hole, every part of him clenched, and his eyes looking like Azazel himself. She found herself on the balls of her feet, ready for the puncture, but in the corner of her eye she saw Pollux still standing.

Her head turned to him, her eyes wide as Pollux looked at Nico with the same look Nico was giving to their new hole. He looked like a true man. But Connie didn't want a man. She wanted to die. Yes, that's what she wanted. She wanted to fix this all. To just leave. And leaving, meant Pollux staying alive.

"_You!" _Nico's voice roared as he pointed at Pollux violently. Pollux, who was suddenly right beside her, didn't move.

"Would you go?" She hissed in his ear urgently, "Go! _GO!" _But he wouldn't look at her. His strong purple irises stared at the Ghost King. She grapped his wrist roughly, and shook it.

"POLLUX!" She didn't care if Nico heard, "WOULD YOU GO?" But he was still as stone.

"Hello Nico," Pollux said in a flat, cool tone. Nico took a step toward him, and though it was still a good ten feet away, it seemed like Nico was already in his face.

"Son of Dionysus," He said, his voice so chilled that it gave Connie the shivers, "What have you done to my park?" It was then, as she looked at the scene, that the Son of Dionysus did have a plan. The Son of Dionysus always had a plan.

And then suddenly, something weird happened. Something so out of the blue, so out of Connie's mind, that it hadn't even occurred to her until it happened. Pollux turned to look at her, his dark purple eyes digging into her's, his hands gripping her wrist. And then he kissed her.

And not just 'peck-on-a-cheek' kiss. A 'lets-go-snog-off-somebodys-face' kiss. He grabbed her to him, and smashed her lips with her's. At first, it didn't feel like anything. Like a leg knocking with another leg, but then his lips started to move, pushing her's open, causing a huge mess of things.

She knew he wasn't doing it out of control, or romance, or spite. He was doing it to leave his mark. So that no matter what happens when it was time to let go, she'd be thinking of him. And what they had gone through. And where they had been together. Or the struggles they had taken on side by side. It seemed sick if you thought about it – Making somebody kiss you – But, in Connie's eyes, it really wasn't. For a moment, she understood. She understood the need to want somebody you love, even as a friend, to not lose themselves with whatever next they had to go through. And of course, to prove to Nico, that he could take away Connie's life, but he could not take away their friendship.

She was ripped away from him – Or maybe, he was ripped away from her. She really didn't know. All she knew was that she was lying on the ground, and Pollux, it seemed, was in a cocoon, much like the one Nico was in only hours earlier. She saw how Nico looked at him, and how defenseless Pollux was. She jumped up, and before Nico could through a spear, she threw herself in front of Pollux and his cocoon.

"DON'T WORRY ABOUT HIM, NICO! JUST KILL ME!" She screamed at him, her arms bending back to wrap around the massive stone. Pollux was hissing at her, but she wouldn't move. She would not leave her partner.

"NICO!" She screamed, but he wouldn't look at her. He was looking at Pollux, straight at Pollux. She knew this was a new game. This was a different war. Her death wasn't involved here. This, it seemed, was a personal thing.

"NICO! LOOK AT ME!" She couldn't reach high enough to guard his head, as it seemed as if the cocoon had risen him. Nico wouldn't look at her. His jar was clenched, his eyes wide in blackness.

"NO DON'T KILL ME!" She felt her lips shaking, she didn't want Pollux to die, "PLEASE, KILL ME! NO, NICO, YOU'RE TOO GOOD FOR IT! KILL ME INSTEAD!" But apparently her words were nothing.

"GO ON!" Pollux shouted at him, "KILL ME, SON OF DEATH!" She hissed at him, begged him to stop, because she saw how Nico's fingers gripped the blade he was holding.

But then, suddenly, his eyes faded off at a distance, the hate boiling inside his soul disappearing. Something important, something deep. Something stopping him from taking Pollux's blood.

Her eyes finally caught what he was looking at. She saw suddenly, the sun, so powerful it seemed, was finally rising from the city's peak. It seemed so long ago that she saw this, a part of her even missing it, but she knew soon the early risers would start appearing; The joggers, the dog-walkers, the beggars. They had to stop – Not all mortals can see past the veil, but they could see destruction, and that something, with three teenagers, was happening.

The dagger disappeared from his hand, but yet a new mold appeared. A small sphere. At first, she didn't understand why he conjured it, but then she noticed how he was squeezing it. Like it was a baseball. She turned around, about to scream at Pollux to duck his head as good as he could, because surely he was the one he'd try to hit first, but then, just as she saw the ball, she realized that she miscalculated. That it didn't matter if Nico loved her or not, if they were friends or not friends, if they had any connection at all, she would always come first. And, when she looked at her puerperal vision, she knew that rule counted the same when it came to knocking somebody out.

She didn't have time to deflect it. She let the baseball-sized rock hit her, the blackness falling in, and possibly falling into somebody else's arms.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

He woke the boy up first. He hadn't hit him so hard, so he decided, as long as the girl was asleep, no harm would be done. He snagged the boy up by his collar, throwing him into the mass field, followed by gently putting down the beautiful soon-to-become woman. His eyes rested on her for a moment, wondering what kind of damage he had done – Not just to her, but himself too. A part of him wanted to hate her, to kill her, but he knew that wasn't right. He knew that she needed to be there when she died, because she was just that kinda girl. She didn't like to be blinded, and he respected that.

The boy looked dazed as he looked up at Nico, his eyes squinting. He looked lost, confused.

"Where's the…" He couldn't think of her name, "…Girl. Where's my girl?" He recognized Nico, he was sure, but he didn't have the energy to scramble. Heck, he was surprised the guy could open his eyes. He pushed him up with his shirt, snagging him close. His eyes were wide, dark.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. He hated him. He hated him a lot.

"I'm sure liked that…" Pollux couldn't think of his name, but he still gave him a lazy smile, "…Didn't you? Me kissing her? You liked that?" He threw him to the ground, despite his height nearly being the same as his, having a guilty bliss when Pollux hit the ground with a loud moan. Oh, how the pain brought guilty happiness to him. A happiness he hated. But, yet, it felt so good. It was a like drug – He had never felt it until a few months ago, when hurting people became a job, but once it started, it never stopped. Of course, when it came to Connie, it didn't happen, but anybody else…Anybody he didn't care about…It was having a smoke.

He kicked him in the stomach, Pollux's moan growing louder, and the guilty bliss in his veins getting heavier. Oh, how it helped him. How it made him feel better. How it made him struggle to keep a smile from his face.

But he had to refrain, because he would lose himself if he went too far. He would be a disgrace to his friends if he ended up turning into a monster. He wouldn't let it happen. Instead of hurting him again, trying every will he had to keep himself from going too far, he looked Pollux straight in the eye.

"You disgust me," He said plainly, his words coming out smooth. But Pollux still had that horrible, betraying smile on his face.

"Atleast I can kiss her without her giving me that horrible, deep look of hurt," Pollux taunted faintly, and Nico didn't know why, "She didn't step away, did she? She let it happen. She let me kiss her…and kiss her…and kiss her. She always does that, y'know." Nico's eyes went wide, Pollux's ring rerunning in his head.

"What?" He hissed through his clenched teeth. Pollux gave him a toothy-smile this time, and he winked.

"You're….You're…You're lying!" Nico spat at him, "You're lying." He thought of the look Connie had given her when he met her only an hour or two ago – Was it filled with hate? Non-love? Forgetfulness? Pollux's smile remained.

"Am I?" Suddenly, the drug took over. He didn't want to think anymore. He didn't want to be human. He wanted to cause pain. He wanted to be ruthless. He wanted to win. To finally, once in his life win.

Pollux gargled when he drove him away from the grassy ground, and stationed him on his knees. He flicked out his knife, newly sharpened and special silver he barely used. Only, it seemed, for special events. Without breathing, without thinking, he put the knife to Pollux's throat, holding him up so steady that he couldn't move. Pollux's voice was gone this time, realizing the effect he finally had. Realizing the consequences to his actions. Suddenly though, Nico stopped, a small hesitant of what he was about to do.

Nico's fingers shook, trying to think of a reason why he shouldn't turn his wrist, but his anger was getting ahead of him. For a minute, he truly didn't know. His grudge was too bad. He tried reciting Bianca's words in his head, that a child of Hades having a grudge is worst of all, but he couldn't do it. His head was banging too loud, the sight of him kissing her replaying in his head over and over again tauntingly.

His fingers tipped it firmly into Pollux's vessels, his fingers pressing down to get the best angle.

But then, he felt his own neck be yanked back, and the similar cold sliver was placed across his throat. He looked up, his black eyes leveling with the beholder. Two grey eyes looked down at him, like a firey storm.

"Connie…" He breathed, as he looked at her, watching the many emotions play across her face that he envied so bad, "What are you…" But his voice left the minute he connected the intentions in her eyes. He kept clinging the dagger to Pollux's throat though, not backing down. He wouldn't back down. He saw how her teeth were shaking, her irises fighting for what to believe.

"You asked me when I was in the cave," Her voice was shaking, "What I'd do for you. The answer is nothing. Because if I had to help you, you wouldn't be the guy that saved me." The words seemed to twist him, curling into his mind like lava.

"What are you saying?" He asked her, in a small voice. She shook her head.

"I'm not your ally, Nico." For a moment, he heard a whip, and a cold lace burn hit his throat. He thought she did it – Slit his throat without a hesitation. But then, as he lost grip of Pollux in response, clutching his throat, he realized by the small pinch of blood on his fingers that she barely touched the skin of his neck. He swerved around, panic piling in him, and he saw her. He was thinking she would go to the exit – Until his eyes caught the long silver blade twisting in her palm.

Pollux was behind her, trying to cough out the choke Nico put upon him, but his eyes wouldn't dangle on him. It was Connie he was wary of – Connie who could be so powerful. She looked at him, so many words seeping through her irsises, and then rose the sword up.

"You should've realized Nico," Her voice stood, "That promises aren't enough." He saw her rose the sword, and suddenly his eyes widened.

"CONNIE, NO!" But it was too late. Before he could reach her, the sword sunk into the thick earth like jello.

"DAMN YOU NICO!" The ground rumbled under him, under all of them, and suddenly, they were sunk in.

**AN: WOOT! Thank you reviewers! Jeeeze, so many questions. Haven't you guys learned that I will answer in time? Thank yoooou **Helios Spirit , Elliott, My beautiful Secret Lover, Triforceofwisdom, Guest (?). Sorry if I forgot you D: PLEASE REVIEW! CRITICS, UPDATES, WHATEVER! I LOVE THEM! PLEASE, I'M REALLY HOPING YOU WOULD! Lets make a goal of ten, alright? Yes, goals. Goals are good. Goals are golden.


	16. The White Box

**Allies**

She jumped away from him quickly as he clawed at his throat. She knew she didn't kill him, but a part of her wondered if she should have. A pain hit her stomach, a pain of war, but then saw Pollux jump away out of his grip, in safety, and it made just about all of it disappear from her mind. Sadly, She didn't have time to help him– She needed to think. Her mind raced quickly – She could've gone to the trees, but something glittered near her that distracted her eyes. Her eyes followed the glint unwillingly. It was a silver blade tip, she realized, next to the box that Nico had kept away under the tree. He must've taken it back, she noticed, just like he took them. She let go of her puny knife that she managed to knick from Nico's back pocket as he had a meltdown with Pollux, and held it to her face. It was beautiful – Long and silver with the engraving **ἦλθον, εἶδον, ἐνίκησα. **It reminded her vaguely of the small dagger that she saw earlier in the box, but she had no time to think. She felt her hands wrap around it, something else moving in her. She felt her fingers rise it up above her head.

"CONNIE, NO!" For a moment, it felt like somebody else was moving in her. Living in her. Ruling for her. A power of mind she forgot she had. Something that had always been inside her, she was just yet to seek it.

"DAMN YOU NICO!" The words slipped from her mouth, unknown who said it. There was an echo in her words as she screeched it into the air, and suddenly she felt her sword plummeting down to the earth. As it was about to touch the ground, she expected it to backfire, but then the sword sunk in into it, like she was the hero of this all.

The ground started to rumble, shaking her. It took her a moment to realize Pollux was behind her, coughing. Quickly, trembling, she grabbed onto him, as the grass started to feel as if it was a blanket rather than the earth itself. In front of her eyes, the grass started to open as if it was a portal, like it was going to engulf them, and she felt somebody else, with cold hands, grip onto her on the other side. There was no other way to speak of what happened next – The ground ate her.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

She woke up in a white room. In such a white room, she was surprised it wasn't for mental patients. Or maybe who knows – Maybe she was a mental patient. Maybe she was in a mental hospital at that exact moment, staring at the ceiling, believing in demigods, and magical apples, and Greek mythology. Maybe it was just all in her head. Maybe nothing had happened at all.

But the vision of Pollux next to her contradicted that theory. She had never thought her brain could have pain so deep, but it did. She felt, as if possibly, like death.

She stood up slowly, looking around. Was it a room? There were no windows, nor any doors. She didn't see any vents. Slowly, she put her stomach on the ground, looking for any creeks between the walls and the floor. There was nothing. Even the floor looked like the walls which looked like the ceiling. Everything looked like everything. It was like…a box. A true box.

"Pollux…" She whispered, shaking him a little and immediately he let out a painful moan, "Wake up." Her calmness seemed to overcome her, turning into a mixed anxiety. Where were they? What was going on? Why in the world was she stuck inside a box?

"Pollux!" She shook him harder, desperateness dripping into her voice, "Wake up! Wake up, Pollux!" He squinted open his eyes and he looked like he was in pain, but she didn't care. Not because of any heartless way, but because she knew there was a much bigger issue.

"Noo…" He whimpered, "Let me sleep." Her teeth gritted.

"POLLUX! WE'RE TRAPPED IN A WHITE BOX, NOW WAKE UP!" That made him open his eyes. In surprise, his eyelids opened fully, looking around like a baby seeing the first pinch of light. He stared around, no emotion hitting his face.

"Well, this sucks," he said in a drowsy-voice, "Now could I…"  
"POLLUX! CAN YOU PLEASE UNDERSTAND THE HORROR OF THE SITUATION?"

"I told you it sucks," His voice murmured harshly, "Now, my head is hurting like a rock decided to clench inside my skull. Could you please lower your voice?" She let out an anxious sigh and started to pace.

"Are we dead?" She whimpered slightly, "Is this what death is?" He flinched as if somebody tried hitting him.

"If we are, I have a huge problem because something is beating in my head like bumblebees!" He exclaimed, feeling his head, "I…I think I have a concussion."

"Good news," She said sarcastically.

"Don't worry," he told her under his breath, "Give me ten minutes, and I'll be just like you. Flipping out like a bamboo." Her eyes narrowed, about to say something, but decided it wasn't even worth it.

"Man, what happened…" She whispered to herself, trying to think of her past events, "I remember…I remember holding a sword…And…And…" Her visions twisted and turned, making her dizzy. Some visions true, some she knew wasn't. It was so hard to tell, so hard to decipher, so hard to digest.

"He tried killing you. And then I put a knife to his throat," She said out loud, "But…But how did I get here? Why did he even put a knife to your throat?" Then, suddenly, she took an aggressive step toward Pollux, her eyes wide with anger. He looked up at her.

"Yes?"

"What did you do?" She hissed. He shrugged lazily.

"I don't know," He said dismissively, "I'm the guy with the concussion." She rolled her eyes.

"Nico doesn't just try to kill somebody," She said slowly, "What did you do Pollux?" His expression didn't change.

"I didn't do anything," He swore neutrally. Her eyes narrowed.

"You didn't attack him?"

"Nah."

"You didn't tempt him?"

"Me? Never."

"Did you do _anything?" _He threw his hands in the air.

"Has it ever occurred to you, that maybe he just _hates _me?" He asked her, tilting his head. She shook her head, unable to concentrate on too many things at one time. It didn't sound like him. Then again, she was also stuck in a white maddening room.

"And then after that I attacked him…" Pollux wooted annoyingly behind her.

"I stuck a blade into the ground and fell into this," She said to him, looking into his eyes, "What is this?" At first, he just stared at her blankly, but then something caught his eyes. Like he had woken up from a dream.

"WOAH! WAIT!" He looked around again, and blinked suddenly, as if finally realizing that they were actually in danger.

"Man," He said, a different tone leveling in his voice, anger dripping, "We're always the underdogs aren't we?" He got up to his feet, almost falling back until Connie reached out for him. He looked, if anything, almost normal. His eyes blazed, hatred filling them. He started to stomp around the room, Connie having to hold him up as he did so.

"THIS SUCKS!" He screamed, "WE'RE STUCK IN THIS CRAPPY FREAKING CREEPY AS– _Wait_." He stopped suddenly, making her almost tumble. His eyes seemed to be a thousand miles.

"If we're here….Where's di Angelo?" The thought never occurred to her. His eyes looked at her, many emotions mixed in.

"You know what, Connie?" he hissed bitterly, "I bet we are alive. And I bet he is too." His nose flared angrily, looking at the ceiling as if it was somebody to glare at.

"So if we're in here, where is…" But then, as if her eyes were playing tricks, the wall in front of them started to shiver. _Shiver. _Like a mirage you'd see in a desert. She jumped back, making Pollux fall to the ground. Her breath heightened. She tried closing her eyes, but every time she opened them, the shiver turned more into a wave, slowly coming down. She felt like she was dying in hallucination but Pollux – He seemed unnaturally calm.

"Pollux, do you see that?" She asked sharply, "The wall, it's-" But then her words stopped. His eyes, she realized, they looked like they were already in a battlefield.

"Speak of the devil," He said chilly, "And the devil shall appear."

**(imagine three dashes)**

He didn't understand why he was doing this. He should just let them rot – It wasn't like the room wasn't airtight, and not only that but it was maddening white. So white, it gave even him shivers. It would make them die of insanity. But then, when he thought about the entire thing all over again, he couldn't stop thinking about her. About how she didn't deserve that. She deserved a noble death. A death he had tried to make a thousand and two times, but yet had failed two thousand and two times. And, of course, he hated the fact he was stuck with _him. _That stupid boy who thought he was everything.

If he had everything he wanted, he would've given Connie her own room. With a big bed and a beautiful furniture set and let Pollux just die. Rot and die. _Die. _Oh, how strong of a word it seemed to be now. So easy to say and act on.

He raised his palm as he opened the large seal. The thirty feet of pure white started to tumble down. He heard Connie's voice on the other side – Almost seeming a bit maddening – But he tried not to listen to it. The lovely ring that came with her tongue. It was beautiful. But not with the sight he saw when the walls tumbled.

It was him again, his eyes burning, holding her hand. His teeth were clenched, he saw, a purple wine glaring at him.

"Nico…" He heard her voice exclaim, "What are you…" She yanked away from Pollux's hand, giving Nico a guilty relief.

"CONNIE!" Pollux screeched angrily the minute her hand slipped from his. He should've warned her of the force field, but his mind didn't react in time. He was too caught up in the scene. She was beautiful, with those two grey eyes, but yet she looked like she had gone through so much pain. He could see the injuries on her – The past cuts, the harsh bruises, the look when she saw him. Just as she got two inches toward him, she collapsed with the invisible wall that separated them. She fell to her side. Like a small child, she put her hand on the field, as if to try and touch him. At first, she looked defenseless. Small and hurt, but then a cover went over her, with strength and liberty.

"Where are we?" He heard Pollux's voice say, a little muffled by the force field. Nico stared at him, ignoring Connie's glare.

"My land," He told him proudly, "The land you are made to fear, son of Dionysus." And, he did look fearful. His eyes widened, horrified by the one word he spoke. Pollux's eyes turned to Connie, astonishment filling them.

"Connie…Connie, what did you do?" He asked, his mouth parted. She gaped, words probably overfilling in her mouth, but then she shook her head.

"She damned us," Nico answered, "All of us. Yes son of Dionysus – Damned. But you did not die, since I was with you." His eyebrows furrowed down, as if he was trying to understand.

"How…" he asked Connie, his eyes confused, "How did you…"

"It was Andromeda," Nico interrupted, "Like I told you both. Andromeda who is overcoming her. Filling her veins. Putting powers into her that she should not posses." Nico was expecting Pollux's astonished look toward Connie to evolve into anger, but instead he dismissed her like she hadn't done a thing at all and glared at Nico.

"And so why didn't you just kill us?" Pollux asked him slowly, walking toward him, "Why didn't you just kill us when you had the chance? Since it is _your _world." Nico's words hung on his tongue, but none came out. He should've just walked away, but his eyes connected with Pollux. They tried to pinch at him, but sadly nothing would come in past this force field. Somehow, Pollux maintained the strength to look at him.

"My father wants to speak with her," Nico said, after a long moment. Pollux's eyes flashed suspiciously, not truly believing his words.

"The Lord of the Dead – The dude who barely shows up to the meetings on time – Is wasting his day with a mortal?" He asked slowly, trying to understand Nico's words. Nico's eyes narrowed.

"He knows she's special," he told him. For a moment, as Pollux's eyes softened, he thought he actually believed him, but then Pollux started to laugh.

"You _child,_" Pollux said in a hiss, "You stupid, lying child!" His hands banged against the invisible force field suddenly, causing a yelp from Connie below. Nico's eyes narrowed.

"You had a Plan B, didn't you?" Pollux said through his clenched teeth, "You didn't actually have to kill her. There was another option from the beginning. But you decided to be a coward." Nico was tempted to argue, to spit at him, to disregard, but there was no point hiding it anymore. There was no point hiding anything.

"It would've hurt her more," Nico told him firmly, "To bring her into this world. Even if she didn't die, she would've lived life with pain in suffering, witnessing death this hard." Pollux shook his head at him in disgust, many words wanting to fly out of his mouth, but Connie spoke first.

She stood up, her face only inches from his, but her face was dark. Intimidating almost.

"And why now?" She asked him slowly, "Why do it now then?" He swallowed.

"Because you aren't my ally anymore." And with that, he swept out of the room silently, as if he had never come.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

It wasn't until Nico left that Pollux started banging on the invisible force field. Connie stayed, frozen in place.

"Pollux…" She said, her voice in shock, "What just happened?" He turned to her, teeth clenched.

"We're going to have to see the Lord of the dead!" He told her angrily, "HADES! WE HAVE TO GO ON TRIAL!"

"So we're going to…die?"

"Yep, probably," He confirmed bitterly. She blinked at him.

"And this is going to be in a few minutes?"

"As soon as – Ah, I can hear them now," He said bitterly. She stared at him, confused still.

"Hear what?" She said sharply, "I don't hear anything." He pointed toward the hall Nico left from.

"Listen closely," He advised, "Just listen." She closed her eyes apprehensively, drowning out Pollux and his huffs of anger. For a moment, she heard nothing. But then, she heard some odd. She didn't know what it was – It sort've sounded like a type of tap.

_Clink Clink Clink _

She scrambled up from the ground, her grey eyes round and alert.

"What is that?" She asked Pollux under her breath. He seemed moderately calm – His eyes normal, his body posture calm, except for his lips. They were so tight it was like they were glued together. The clinks got louder, a hard noise for her ears. It was like a climatic part in a movie – You know, the part where everybody dies. But that didn't seem right – Didn't Pollux say something about a trial? A trial seemed very good right now.

"COME ON!" She heard Nico order in a demanding voice, "LETS GO!" He rolled his eyes, as if Nico's tone was pathetic, when in her ears it seemed like a drill sergeant.

He put his hands on the wall as the clinking started to sound like bangs.

"Damn kid can't even get his own warriors to fear him," He said under his breath. She started to walk toward the force field, more intrigued than fearful this time. The clinks echoed in her mind as they did out loud, and suddenly she found herself looking at the one person who she knew wouldn't hurt her – Pollux. They both wanted to say many things, she knew, but they had to hold on. They had to keep going. But it was then that she knew they were just around the corner.

He nodded at her, and took her wrist.

"Don't be afraid," He whispered, his lips touching her ear slightly, "It'll just make you fear them more." She squeezed his hand, just to hold on, and let out a deep breath.

"Here they come," He told her calmly, "Please, be brave." He was right on time. Because it was then – At that exact moment – That they came around.

At first, she only saw Nico. His eyes seemed powerful, black and twisted. Her eyes lingered on him for a second, and looking back on it, she wished she never turned her head. But then she did, and when she did, she was too scared to scream.

They were skeletons. Pure skeletons. With old-fashioned warrior suits, spears, guns, whatever else that was from their era. It was just like when she saw them that one time when she slept under Nico's tree. Her breath shook as she saw them. Even when she was young she hated skeletons – But now, seeing them in action. She started to get dizzy, swaying slightly, but then she felt a hand rest on her. Warm and strong.

She looked up at beholder. _Don't be afraid. _She nodded at him, drowning the clinking from her ears.

"It'll be alright," She whispered to herself.

"STOP!" A voice demanded. She turned her head, facing the creatures head on. They were all staring at her – One by one. There had to be ten…maybe twelve. Why Nico called so many? She really didn't know. His eyes were scaling them though, as if they were humans. She wondered how he could look at them like that, as if they were real people. It didn't make sense to her.

But then he turned toward them, and she forgot everything. She watched how he raised his palm elegantly, and then caught the air as if he was ripping away cloth. It was like he was the controller. He was the dictator. He was the one who would be in the history books.

"Warriors of the dead," His voice seemed to stumble when he spoke, "Take the captives." Instantly, she grabbed Pollux's arm. They were coming toward her…

"It's happening again," She whispered desperately, remembering what happened the first time warriors came toward her, "It's happening…It's happening again…" Flashes of memories seemed to hit her as they came. Her crying, a man trying to get her, skeletons overcoming her and out leashing her worst fear.

"No, it's not," Pollux said sternly, "The man you saw isn't coming. You wanna know why? Because Castor is not in front of me." At first, his words were just words, but then she realized who was talking to her. She watched as his purple eyes glittered down at her, and instead of the pictures of warriors swimming in her mind, she thought of Pollux. Sleeping under the tree, talking to they fell asleep, all the good times that kept her moving. The warriors were next to her, but she didn't scramble away. She let the warriors grab her, their chilled shivery finger bones clenched all around her body. Her bit her lip so her fear wouldn't show.

"Look ahead," Pollux demanded under his breath, "I'm right next to you. Just look ahead." And she did. She looked ahead of her when the warriors pushed her violently into the dark halls. Blackness seemed to crowd in, and the only thing that kept her sane was staring at Nico, only five feet away from her. Yes, fire burned along the walls, but the darkness was too much. She needed light. Light of happiness.

"Pollux?" She whispered, her voice filled with slight anxiety. It seemed so long ago that she heard his voice, though they had only turned a hall. He grunted.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Don't do anything rude," She reminded him.

"What?" He asked, but this time with an edge.

" Disrespect. I mean, I know I haven't met this guy but-"

"I'm not that stupid, Connie," He hissed at her, his voice serious, "You would have to be moronic to insult the Lord of the Dead." She looked at him skeptically – Or at least his figure.

"And if you get away-"

"Connie."

"No!" Her voice raised a little, and she saw how Nico's head bobbled back slightly, "You get away! Don't wait for me. Please, don't wait for me." At first, he was quiet.

"Why do you always underestimate me?" He asked, his voice strained, "I mean-" The skeletons pushed them roughly around a corner "—What did I do that makes you doubt me?" She swallowed. At first, she wasn't going to answer, but she knew she had to say it or she never would.

"You're brave, Pollux," She informed him, "And that makes you proud." He was quiet for a moment.

"Are you insulting me or complimenting me?" He asked roughly. A small smile erupted on her face.

"Both," She muttered with a low, surprising laugh. Suddenly, they stopped. She stumbled toward the next warrior, who elbowed her hard in the ribs. A sound of pain hissed through her teeth.

"HALT!" Nico's voice echoed. She let out a whimper of pain, wanting to clutch her ribs. But she had to be brave. It was so silent; she realized how loud the chatter was when you were in the middle of it, warriors all around you. If you thought about it too much, it almost made you want to go insane.

She looked at the block in front of her – It was probably a door. She closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Maybe one of her last breaths.

"SILENCE!" Nico screamed, echoing the corridors. Suddenly, the chatter seized to a small hum. At first, she saw no reason for the seized chatter– But then she heard the begging voice. A voice, that gave her chills.

_"Lord, lord Hades!Please…serve mercy! Please…Please…"  
"Yadda, yadda, yadda!" _His voice made her want to shut her ears, it was such a harsh tone, "_You saved the world…yadda yadda yadda…You helped millions of people…Yadda yadda yadda…Give me something I actually care about before I burst you into pieces Oprah Winfrey!" _Her eyes widened.

Beside her, she heard Pollux say, "Oprah Winfrey died? Man…I actually liked her…"  
"_But Lord Hades-"_

_ "Oh, just blast her!" _There was a sound of ignition, and then a burrow of screams. She felt herself cling onto Pollux immediately. The warriors were probably too dead to feel her slight shift to touch Pollux's hand. Her breath, she realized, was shivering. How would Hades give her mercy, if he wouldn't even give it to Oprah Winfrey?

"Pollux…" She breathed.

"…Yes?" He whispered, and she could hear the horror in his voice as well.

"I don't want that to be me," She admitted. She knew he couldn't swear to protect her – That's not what she wanted. She wanted peace.

"This is sick," She continued in a low voice, "He's killing people for the fun of it." At first, he was quiet as they listened to Hade's deathly words toward his servants. Demanding, spitting, using that horrifying tongue that screeched her ears like lava.

"Then so be it," Pollux said after a moment, "Let us die for his pleasure." Her eyes stared at him.

"…What?" She asked as she turned her head fully, and she noticed then that Nico was listening to them as her eyes spotted his head turned when she moved her head to look at Pollux. She didn't care.

"Let's be the sacrifice," He told her firmly. At first, she didn't get it, her eyes staring at him wildly, but then she remembered what she had gone through. Everything. Their quest, the people they have encountered, the pain they went through for justice. Yes, if they were going to die, they were going to be the sacrifice.

"For what though?" She asked, with a small, contradictable laugh, "It's not like we did anything special." But then she answered herself.

"For the brave," She told him, "Let's do it for the brave." Pollux squeezed her hand.

"And the proud, of course," He added, with a slight joy in his voice, "The proud must be included."

"For the brave and the proud," She agreed. She closed her eyes, squeezing his hand tighter than ever.

_"I'm going to go take a nice bath and nobody is going to—What do you _mean _I have somebody else to see?"_

_ "Well, your son Lord-"_

_ "Oh, gods. He's back. What does he want this time?"_

_ "H-He has somebody he wants you to see." _She could tell the air went stiff.

_"Tell the insufferable boy that he can make an appointment next time."_

_ "But he informed me it was an emergency."  
"My son thinks everything is an emergency! 'Father, Percy is in trouble', 'Father, you need to go save Manhattan', 'Father, you need to find Andromeda'. If I knew I would have such a whiney weak son, I would've made sure he wasn't conceived!" _ If there was any more blood left in Connie's face, it would've drained. Her eyes seemed to follow Nico, who was already toward the door again. He deserved many things, but that – His father's words – she didn't know if he really deserved.

"_NICO_!" Her breath sucked in. She could feel herself shaking, to the very tips of her toes to the roots of her hair.

"UP!" Nico's thick voice demanded, and immediately the black stone in front of them slivered away.

(imagine three dashes)

AN: Thank you Triforceofwisdom, Singer24, Meh Secret Lover, Elizabeth, artemis-girl123 Really, love the comments! And of course, all the lovely people who added me for favorites and jazz. PLEASE REVIEW. I know, this is scratchy. I know, reviewing is like getting up to go to the bathroom. It's so hard. BUT PLEASE REVIEW! I REALLY APPRECIATE THEM! Be a part of my list of people


	17. Black Flames

**The Pen versus the Sword**

When the stone door disappeared, she was caught by surprise with the bright sunlight that shined in. She nearly stopped fully, blinded by the unexpected light. The warriors tugged at her thugh, and she managed to give Pollux one last look. She was about to open her mouth, to say goodbye, but then the warriors pushed her down almost immediately, slamming her into the stone ground. She gritted her teeth angrily, but she had to be brave.

As she looked around at the mass of warriors that were scramming, she felt like she was a mile away from the rest of the court. She realized quickly that she was seated in the very back, almost away from the scene.

Pollux was seated much farther than her, almost two thirds into the court room, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was because she was a girl that she was seated in the back. This trial was about her, wasn't it? The warriors moved around, shifting to isles and taking away her thoughts. She watched as they jittered, unconcerned, until she saw with what seemed like a throne. It was made out of dried bone, twirled and weaved as if a chair. A table rested next to it – A black stone that looked like somebody Nico could conjure.

The moment she made eyes with the person sitting in it, her entire body stopped. Her blood stopped pumping, her heart stopped beating, her lungs stopped inhaling. Every cell in her body froze. She knew Lord Hades would be scary, but something when she looked at him made her wish she was dead. It was like a radiance he gave off.

At first, she didn't see the resemblance between him and Nico – His hair was a darker black, trailing only to his ears. His body was thicker, an aged tone that overtook his skin, and of course, he had an aura of death. But then she saw his eyes – His horrifying eyes. If she looked into him too hard, she might've seen all her fears. There was something about him that she knew would remind her of just about everything she didn't want to see, but if she looked at them softly, as if he was normal, all she saw was Nico.

Of course, his apparel was something totally different. It was a robe, which trailed past his throne with many pockets, and instead of just silk stitch, there were figures. Yes, figures. Of screaming people that made her want to throw up – People who must've done some horrible, horrible things. Would that be her, she wondered.

She turned away, her eyes on the floor. She couldn't concentrate on him. In the corner of her eye though, a hundred feet away, she saw Nico kneel only feet away from him.

"Nico," his voice made her want to plug her ears, "What useless vermin did you bring me this time?" She tried not to feel insulted, but she did feel a jolt of anger hit her when he referred to her as that.

"The one who I talked to you about, Father," Nico seemed desperate when he spoke, "The Lost Oracle." Connie waited for the hurrah – The happy moment where his dad finally got what he wanted, but instead she heard an irritable sigh that was so loud even she could hear.

"The Lost Oracle!" he scuffed, "Is this why you came? You interrupted my day – Completely busy, by the way – To send me a mortal that has no purpose to me whatsoever! Nico, I do not _care _about your stupid ideas! Instead of looking for a spirit that doesn't even exist, how about you do something useful like _train_, so you can get a little smarter! Your sister was smarter than this, only if she wasn't the one to perish!" Even she felt the sting. At first, Nico was quiet, as if gathering his words.

"I also have questions," he told him calmly.

"About _her a_gain?" Hades guessed, his voice rising, "If you are here for that, I mine-as-well blast you!" Connie's eyes rose slowly, not looking at him directly in the eyes, but close enough to see him clearly.

"No, about Jarr," Nico argued, "The Son of Eris." She expected the Lord of the Dead to go off on him immediately, but at first he was silent.

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" his father spat, though she knew somehow that he was lying.

"Father, you know what I'm talking about. You sent him to me, why?" Nico asked, his voice getting rougher as well. Hades's eyes flickered down at him angrily.

"Questions! Questions, questions, _questions_!" he ranted, "I have no idea whatsoever what you're speaking about!" Nico hesitated at first, as if he was going to continue arguing but something stopped him.

"Whatever you say, Father," she could hear the strain in Nico's voice, "But I brought them – The girl and her accomplice." A horrible feeling, worse than anything Hades could've done, filled her. _Accomplice. _That's what Nico called Pollux. Trying to calm her anger, she looked at Hades, who was rubbing his eyes into his palms tiredly.

"You, b_oy! _Go on, what are you waiting for? Tell me your name!" Hades demanded. She saw Pollux's head, which was bowed to the ground, look up in his direction.

"Pollux," he answered, his voice unusually flat, "But-"

"Son of Dionysus, are you?" There was a humor in the Lord's voice, "The God of Wine?" She didn't need to hear Pollux's voice – She knew that irritated him.

"Yes, my Lord," Pollux told him firmly, "The God of Ritual Madness." Hades' must've heard his change of words, clearly defending his father, because he sneered.

"This is what you brought me, Nico? A son of the God of Wine, and a young mortal?" Hades' voice was hard enough for Connie to want to clutch at herself for protection, "Neither of these pathetic children are weapons!"

"Father, if you just-"

"NO!" His voice echoed the room, "I am smarter than this! You think I wouldn't see that you're deluding me into your childish ways? You think you can fool a god? You're not a child of Hades! You have still yet to prove yourself, and yet you're older than the age sixteen! Why, only a few years ago I was planning on making you the greatest hero of all time!" His voice echoed into the room, forming into her mind. It made her angry, she realized, the words that were icing into her.

"I am not trying to fool you, Father! You believe in Andromeda, she is in her!" Nico argued clearly, "I have brought her to you!" Nico's father beamed angrily. She looked at him fully, seeing his own anger reflect off him, but this time it didn't affect her. The hatred beaming off seemed invisible, and she could see him for the first time, rather than his hate that she despised greatly. Something about him intrigued her. She watched as he moved, his body fidgeting as he continued to argue with Nico.

It was then that she realized that Nico's father was clutching something, possibly in anger. It was in one of his many pockets, clearly sticking out. Even at a distance, it seemed familiar. Black and leafy, as if it was a….glove. Her head tilted, reminding herself of the glove she had found in Nico's box. Her hand sneakily touched the back of her jeans, realizing that her own glove was still there. They seemed identical from what she could see, and though it was the longest stretch possible, she couldn't help but wonder if that was the missing glove that made up the pair, as she had only found one glove in Nico's box. Of course, it was probably just an irrational thought crossing her mind, but the question still sunk into her. Where was the second glove? She didn't see the Lord of the Dead clutching the second one, but it seemed so like hers. Ancient, black, silky.

"I do not see anybody Nico, and if you spent one moment listening to me, you'd be a strong warrior, but instead you waste your days following people that have nothing to do with my world!" Hades' voice boomed. Connie's eyes narrowed. She knew she had no reason to after what Nico had done to her, but she still felt angry by the way his father was speaking to him.

"Father, I swear on the River of the Styx, she has Andromeda in her! She can cure the issues in your kingdom! Please father, just-"

"Go on," Hades said coolly, "Tell me your sob story about how you spent so much time trying to find her, how she is so important! Go on!"

"Father, would you listen to me for three seconds?" Nico asked impatiently, though his voice seemed to cool down. Hades huffed in response.

"I talked to the ancient nymphs – Spirits that are almost as old as you! All the information they were willing to tell me fits her!" Nico said, his energy seeming to gain, "I found her, Father! Don't you see?"

"And is she dead?" Hades asked in reply, "Is the girl dead?"

"Well, no-"

"Then you have no reason to be here!" Hades said, "I know about Andromeda, I know about the pity theories! She has to be dead, Nico! Black blood!" Connie looked up at Hades, her eyes looking into his without any fear at all now. He was pathetic, she realized, completely pathetic.

"I know, I tried-"

"You tried!" Hades mimicked tauntingly, "What a lousy excuse! How about you go skip off to Camp Half-Blood again and go talk to more nymphs! Absolutely helpful, since apparently you can't kill a simple girl!"

"Father, just listen-"

"NO! NO MORE LISTENING!" Hades roared, and Connie's eyes seemed to fill with disgust, "I AM DONE WITH THIS CONVERSATION! TAKE THESE PITIFUL CREATURES OUT OF HERE, OR KILL THEM!" There was an eerie silence. Nico started to back away from his father's throne, giving up completely. Her mouth parted, stunned by the scene.

"As you wish Father…"

"WOAH!" She bursted up, "WAIT, BACK UP!" Everybody, even the warriors, swerved around in surprise, as if her existence had just suddenly been revealed. She was sure Pollux was muttering to her to sit down, but her ears were out of his reach. Hades looked her directly in her eyes, flames brewing, but she didn't turn away. She looked into them, no fear showing.

"You're telling me he tried to kill me for you, and you aren't even giving him recognition for it?" She asked slowly through her clenched teeth, "He tried to take my life! At least give him some points!" There was an eerie silence. Nico's eyes were wide in horror, the warriors stopped fidgeting, and even the damned on Hade's robe seemed to be at awe. Apparently, nobody spoke out in his court. At first, Hades just stared at her, with great curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"What's your name?" He asked, suddenly intrigued. She didn't look away from him.

"Constance," She said proudly, her fists clenching, "Constance Margaret Jennings." Behind Hades, Nico was shaking his head.

"And you think its okay to speak without being spoken to first?" He asked slowly. She shrugged.

"I'm going to be dead anyways, am I wrong?" She asked him, in the same exact tone. Hades lifted himself from his throne, strutting to her slowly. At first, she truly believed he was going to punish her right there, just like the rest of the court probably thought, but then a smile appeared on his face. An amused one.

"Any more comments?" He asked, the black flames in his eyes flickering in excitement. She nodded without hesitation.

"Yes. You're an _asshole_." Okay, so maybe picking up Pollux's words right then at that moment wasn't exactly the best time. Nico screeched out her name in a bark, and the warriors started to march toward her, but Hades's smile remained the same and he held up his hand toward Nico and his court to seize. She looked down below her, at Pollux, expecting a horrifying look, but he was smiling, with his eyes filled with pride. And that, to her, meant everything.

"Silence," He demanded harshly, to the rest of his court as the murmurs continued. She looked deep inside Nico's eyes, deep inside those dark pools of worries. She redirected her eyes though back at his father, a god who seemed no more powerful than anybody else in that court in her mind. Her eyes narrowed at him as he stood a few feet away, just staring at her. His amused flames didn't tame.

"Father-" But he raised his hand up at him, still not looking away from her eyes.

"So, this is the girl," He murmured, after a long moment. A twist curled around Connie's face suddenly, redirecting her composure.

"The girl you love," He was talking to Nico, "Persephone kept ranting to me you loved somebody." She saw, in the corner of her eyes, Nico turn red head to toe. She scuffed loudly.

"Father, no I don't-"

"Don't _lie, _Nico," His voice drew a sharpness that Connie didn't favor, his lips curling as well.

"Is this why you couldn't finish her off?" He snapped at him, turning his back to her, "Is that why? Love got in the way? Despicable! I thought I raised you bette-"

"He couldn't do it because I fought back!" Connie interrupted sharply again, "Don't give your son _too_ much credit, Hades. He's still mortal, just like me." He whipped toward her, his eyes more curious then amused. He looked at her up and down quickly, trying to understand what he was seeing.

"And you love him, I'm guessing?" He said this tauntingly. She rolled her eyes. The question was an important, and she was sure it was lead by the question of whether she would die for him, but as the fast memories went by with her possibilities, but the answer of evident.

"Doesn't mean I'd let him kill me," She hissed, "Really, I thought you were smarter than this?" He looked insulted finally, her words seeming stronger than he obviously predicted. His eyes flamed, and she knew this was the time. The time he would kill her.

"Warriors," His voice rose, but she didn't have any fear, "Get rid of her. And her….accomplice too."

The warriors started to come at her, grabbing at her, and suddenly the glove reached back into her mind, reminding her of that one curiosity. As the warriors reached for her, she managed to stick her fingers into her back pocket, taking the glove out. It was crazy, her idea, it was nuts. But just as she was about to leave the court room to a door near Hades' throne, with Pollux roaring behind her with a nerve that he must've gained when she gained her own, she balled the glove into her hands and tossed it at him. Missing the warriors, skidding across the marble, it landed right next to Hades's feet. The warriors goggled at it, as if the one action stopped them. Hades picked it up, wide-eyed, almost sickly looking, and held it to his face.

"I think," Connie sneered, "That is yours." There was a silence, not as bad as the rest of them but yet just as powerful. Hades's examined it with awe.

"Take her," His voice was hollow, "To the dungeons. The one underground. _Now._" As she was dragged out, she shared a look with Hades, his irises gleaming at her as if he couldn't understand what he was seeing.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

They both agreed quickly that they didn't want to be murdered in their sleep, so they decided to each take turns staying awake in case anybody came. Bravely, Connie took the first shift. Surprisingly, it wasn't the lack of sleep that made it unbearable – It was the cries and moans from the lost spirits that were imprisoned. But at least it wasn't as bad as the white box, she tried to convince herself. Instead they were in a dark dungeon with rusty bars and a clogged smell and a hopeless feeling that sunk into your soul - you know, all the good things you'd want if you were locked up. She remained at the bars, her fingers trickling down them to try and stay awake.

At first, it wasn't too bad, but then her eyes started to grow heavy and the thought that she hadn't slept in days repeated through her head. She tried to take deep breaths, but there were only so many things that could stop you from falling asleep. She struggled for what seemed like hours, until she saw an auburn gleam that woke her up fully.

She tipped her head, watching it flicker tauntingly down the hall. She knew it was a figure holding it. The figure approached her slowly, her eyes dazed as she stared. It only took her a few moments to realize the person was hidden behind a red cloak that dragged to the floor elegantly. She should've called for Pollux, since surely the visitor was for them, but she couldn't get her mouth to open. She had no fear left in her.

The figure stopped in front of her, dropping their hood. Immediately, she saw the black shaggy hair fall out, followed by a thin white face. She guessed she shouldn't have been surprised that it was Nico, but she was still silent as she watched an auburn gleam reflect off his ghostly skin.

"I wasn't going to come but…" his voice left quickly. She didn't say anything as he watched her. At first, there was a silence, where both of them looked at each other as if that horrible scene earlier was finally digesting. Her faint understanding of his mindset, and his final realization of who she was. His hand reached out, his thin fingers falling between the bars, and touched her face. It seemed like a dream – Him reaching for her in a birds-eye-view. At first, she let him, his cold fingers touching her cheek, but then she flinched away, back up from his reach.

"Don't touch me!" She heard herself say sharply. At first, his eyes flashed angrily, but then they softened to a look that could make him resemble a child.

"You're afraid of me," He whispered. She shook her head immediately.

"I'm not afraid of you Nico. You tried to kill my friend," She reminded him. He was silent, watching her.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked, curiosity coming over her, "He didn't do anything." His eyes looked like he was trying to evaluate her.

"Is that what he told you?" he asked her, abnormally calm. She didn't nod.

"I saw it," she told him, "I saw you try to do it, Nico. Don't lie. Why? Why couldn't you just let him go?" Her voice broke when she said it, unsure if that was because she was drowsy or because Pollux getting away was that important to her then anything. His jaw clenched.

"Because he took you away from me," he said pathetically. Suddenly, a fury came over her. She clenched the bars tightly, feeling the rust cause dents in her skin.

"No Nico. I took myself away from you," she corrected coolly, "Why are you here anyways? To kill me?" He shook his head.

"My father forbids me. He…he wants you to stay alive," he admitted. She tried to see a lie in his face, but all she saw was truth. Why, she wondered, would his father want her alive? She completely cussed him out, threw a glove at him, and made a fool of him in front of his own court. But she flushed the thought away, quickly deciding that it wasn't a problem right now.

"Well, I guess your plan didn't work out after all, huh?" she said between her clenched teeth, "I guess I was right." He shook his head sharply.

"He is wrong, Connie," he swore to her, "He is wrong." Her eyes narrowed.

"Then, what do you want? You look like you want something," she said, in a low fierce voice. She could see the hesitation in his eyes, and that look alone made her question if she really wanted to hear the answer. Finally, after a long silence, he spoke.

"I think we can do this Connie," he told her honestly, "I think we can do this together. Be a team. Deep down, I know you understand what I'm saying – you're different. I'm not sure what my father's plans are for you, but I can get you out of here. And maybe…Well, maybe we can find a way without having to kill you. But it has to be now." She looked at the bars she was squeezing. It would be amazing to get out of here, to be free, to not feel so imprisoned. And maybe even get some sleep. She could go back to Manhattan, live her life, see Nico without weakness. His eyes were flickering wildly, an excitement in them that she deep down liked. She opened her mouth, about to say the words that she deep down desired, but then she remembered the boy behind her. She turned her head, looking at his sleeping figure. He seemed so innocent now, peaceful with him believing she was on his side. He would be left, she knew. Nico would never agree to take him. But she couldn't leave him here. No, she never would.

"No," she told him firmly, her head swinging around. He blinked at her.

"You don't want me to get you out of here?" he asked, shock filling his voice, "I can't get you out any other time. It has to be now, Connie." Her grey eyes flashed at him.

"I don't want your help," she told him, "I'm not your ally." At first, his mouth gaped, but then remorse flooded his face.

"Look, I didn't mean that, I just haven't slept in ages-"

"No, Nico. We both know deep down we'll never be able to be allies," she told him softly. A gentle look fell across his dark eyes.

"Why not?" his voice asked feebly.

"Because we're too much alike," she confessed, "We both think we know what's best for this world."At first he was quiet, as if trying to think of a way to disagree, but he couldn't. Because it was the truth. She was too much like him to fight on the same team.

"But you're just like Pollux," he pointed out, "What about him?" She shook her head immediately, a dark humorous laugh tempted to come out.

"Are you kidding me? He is the opposite of me! We fight like banshees, you just aren't there to see it! He's probably the most stubborn person I have ever met!" She told him, and for a small moment it felt like they were back in the tree again, talking over things that meant absolutely nothing, "But…He's my partner. He'll always be my partner." There was quietness that conquered them, for a moment them just staring at each other.

"But you love me," He said out loud, almost as if he was talking to himself, "You do, don't you? Still love me?" It was so easy to say it when it was on your own terms because you didn't have to think about it, but now that the question was asked and she truly had to mean it, she didn't know.

"I…" She felt tongue-tied, "When I talked to you, you were this calm, silent kid in a tree that seemed to be just like me, but I realized now that I don't really know you. I don't understand why somebody would try to kill the person they love. I can't wrap my head around it, no matter what the consequences were." She shook her head at him, not in disagreement but in confusion. He stared at her, in awe. He looked like she just struck him.

"And him?" He asked accusingly, pointing behind her with his thin index finger, "The nineteen-year-old who definitely has nothing in common with you?" At first, she blinked. She had never asked how old Pollux was, he seemed so old with the way he said it, but she knew the only reason Nico added that in was to make her feel as if she didn't truly know him. To her though, age was just a number.

"I don't love him romantically. I love him as a partner," She informed him, "It's different Nico. It's different." He was silent. Suddenly, he turned away from her, leaning his back against the wall. He didn't want to see her, she knew, he wanted to breathe.

"You know," She said quietly, not sure why she was saying this, "When we were in trial, I wondered about you. I wondered what would happen if I died right then, at that moment. I remembered you said in…your journal…that you would meet me in Elysium. You would be there with me and we can build a life in the Underworld. I considered it, for you." He was dead silent, but she knew he was listening so she went on.

"I'm not saying I don't love you," She said feebly, "But I can't say I do. I don't know if we can ever be together. At least not in this lifetime." He turned toward her finally, and he looked plush.

"Well, I do love you," He said this with no struggle, "And I'm not afraid to say it. I do think anything is possible. I believe in hope." She opened her mouth, not sure what she was going to say, but then she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. A jolt of surprise hitting her, she looked above her into two purple eyes.

"She believes in hope," Pollux said, his voice so cool that seemed almost like Hades himself, "More hope than you ever will. You don't know what hope it. Hope means you believe in life, di Angelo, which you clearly don't. Now, if you aren't here to murder us, I'd suggest for you to leave. Now."

She wasn't expecting Nico to give up, but suddenly he lifted the red cloak over him. This time, he didn't reach for her, but she knew as he walked away out of sight, that he wanted to. Pollux didn't speak until his flicker of flame was unseen.

"You know, he always had a plan," Pollux told her hollowly.

"Yes, he does," She agreed, "But so do you."

**AN: Mwahaha. I hope it was good. Sorry for mistakes D: Thank you Secret Lover, Singer 24, ****aretmis-girl123, and all the beautiful people who were too lazy to write a review but had the motivation to put me in favorites :D Man, lack of reviews. PLEASE REVIEW. Critic, update, or actually message, just PLEASE REVIEW. You're kinda leaving me in the dark if you don't. **


	18. The Dark Side of the Moon

**The Moon Spirit**

She dreamed of him again. God. His eyes were dark, cloudy. Her last time seeing him, he was evil, but this time he was innocent. Loving. But powerful, so very powerful. The figure she was seeing the point of view in was holding hands with him as they walked along an old, unstable sidewalk. Loud music played behind them, as if they had come from a classy club, but yet they looked like it was each other that made the night amazing. With the roads of river flowing beside them, she assumed they were in Venice. Yes, Venice, Italy.

"Wow," her accent was a silky Italian tongue, "This is beautiful, love, beautiful! I forget some days of the magic in my long-lost home." His smile beamed down at her with a rare sparkle in his black eyes.

"I am glad," He told her, "It's the most I can do…" She saw the guilt flash his face, the worst type of pain. She tugged on his hand, holding it tightly.

"Don't ruin this for me, please," She said to him, "You know what I think of sadness…" His face didn't change.

"How can your eyes look so happy, but then so sad at the same time?" She asked, as she stopped abruptly. He looked above her, off at the skies.

"Because no matter what, I can't stay away from you. No matter what, I can't leave you. You know how hard that is?" He asked her in a small voice, "But then I have to do it anyways. Always." She loved that voice. The voice he spoke in when it was just them alone. She didn't need to say what she wanted to say – She knew that he already knew.

"I forgive you," She told him softly, "I'll always forgive you." He shook his head.

"You shouldn't. I am not a man," He told her, "I am not worthy." Suddenly, as they stared at each other lovingly, the vision started to twist, distorienting in an awkward view. Connie, in her sleep, could feel her stomach churning wildly as a realization started to spur in her head.

Suddenly, without any warning, Connie's eyes bursted open, and her mouth opened with a horrible noise. Sweat was pouring down her. Pollux ran to her, his eyes glowing. She panted.

"What happened?" He asked sharply, grabbing her "What's wrong?" Connie showed him the horror in her eyes.

"You remember that…figure…I kept seeing in my sleep? That I saw in that hallucination?" She asked him desperately. Slowly, he nodded.

"Well," She said, swallowing thickly, "That man…He's Hades. The man I've been seeing is Hades." At first, he was silent. Deadly silent. He looked just as horrified.

"Look…" His voice drawled suddenly, breaking the moment "I know this is a bad time to handle things, but I think I just found a way out…" Her eyes softened into a confused gleam.

"What do you mean?" She asked softly. He moved away from her view, and she caught eyes with the most unusual thing she has seen yet. A magically moon-lit figure was glowing in front of her. She couldn't tell if she was real or not – It was so real yet so imaginative she couldn't tell. Her eyes scanned her in awe. She was beautiful – Long transparent hair trilled down her, with a floating dress that elevated her into the air. Her large clear eyes looked down at Connie, questioning but warm.

"This is Lunar," Pollux introduced, his hand gesturing toward her hesitantly, "She is the spirit of the moon, and she thinks she can get us out of here." The woman didn't smile, but yet looked at Connie with the same curious look as Connie gave her.

"Yes," She agreed, "I am willing to." Connie evaluated her, trying to see some sort've trick in the plan. Why in the world would such a delicate soul be placed in these dark dungeons?

"I am the Moon," She answered, as if she heard the thoughts in her head, "I am to be anywhere. And right now, m'dear, I am with you." Connie was still confused. Lunar floated closer to her, making Connie grab at the ground she was laying on. So beautiful she was, but yet so intimidating.

"Why?" Connie asked sharply, refusing to see the goodness in the spirit, "Why me? What makes you not a trap?" At first, the spirit was quiet, as if contemplating the right answer.

"You're one of us, Constance," The ghost spoke softly, "You're a spirit too. And spirits help each other in need." Constance's eyes flashed at her.

"What are you talking about?"

"You have the spirit of Andromeda in you," The ghost informed her, "Yes, you do not believe it now, but soon you will. You have a destiny to fulfill, my young one, and it is not here." Connie was quiet in awe.

"Your love sees it as well, but he does not see it right," The spirit looked down at her sadly, "He does not understand your purpose yet. He only sees what he is told." Connie's eyes softened.

"What do you mean?" She asked, her voice little "He tells me that the spirit I…carry will make me a devil." The lady smiled at her as if she was a child who knew nothing.

"You have the spirit," She confirmed, "But it's your choice how you embrace it." Her eyes gleamed, not knowing what to say.

"Here," Lunar said, digging into her transparent pocket that was fit into her dress and pulled out a white transparent key, "This is your way out. Be careful, Sister." Connie took it in her hand, and before she could gain the energy to move her lips the spirit, Lunar, floated to her. She gave her one last look, but then collided to her, evaporating into her body, making Connie catch her breath.

At first, there was a silence. She clutched her hand to her heart – The place Lunar disappeared into. She saw Pollux gulp.

"Well, we must…Go," He told her, his voice sounding sore. She nodded, looking down at the large, classical key in her hand. It reminded her of a key you'd see in a Disney movie. Large and magical.

They met each other at the bars, unsure what they were doing. Was it a trick? Was it manipulation after all?

"The lock is on the other side," Pollux said out loud, holding out his large hands "Unless you can get your hand all the way over there…" She shook her head immediately and looked back at the key as it glittered towards her. It didn't look normal – It probably wouldn't have fit in there anyways. White and ghostly, it would've probably just went right through the lock even if she could reach it. Her head tilted, and for a small moment she understood.

"Back up," She murmured. Pollux looked at her, confused.

"What?" He asked sharply. Her eyes pierced his.

"Back up," She repeated, "Go!" He scowled at her as he moved backward. She tipped back too, and without thinking twice as she slammed the key in the ground. At first, she didn't think it worked, but then it slowly disappeared into the ground. Her eyes widened.

Suddenly, before she knew what she just did, a hole exploded into the earth. She heard the sound erupt into her ears loudly, catching her by surprise. As she stumbled back she saw the colorful sparks spitting out of it wildly. At first, she thought it was a trap, but then she saw the warming colors, and she just _knew. _

_ "_Come on!" She shouted as she grabbed onto Pollux hand.

"Are you craz-" Dauntlessly, she flung herself into the hole.

**(imagine three dashes)**

When she opened her eyes, a black stone floor was in her face. She groaned loudly, feeling the pain flow through her.

"What the f-" Pollux cursed, "-Was that?" Finally, Connie found the urge to lift her head. The only thing she had to give was curiousness. She looked at her surroundings closely; a black mattress, a small closet, the smell of a mix of candies that were definitely overdue. There was a small table, filled with little things like cards and figurines, and a flag that stood over everything. Immediately, she knew.

"Are we out of the palace?" Pollux asked with a growan, "Please tell me we're not in that hellhole anymore." She sighed.

"No," Her throat seemed tight when she spoke, "Instead, we're in Nico's bedroom." Pollux's eyes, which were filled with dark hope, seemed to replace with a look of misery. He pounded on the ground angrily, his face falling back onto the black stone.

"My life sucks!" His voice muffled, "My life freaking sucks! Can I just go kill mys-" But then Connie heard the footsteps down the hall.

"_Well, Percy, about that…" _The footsteps grew louder, "_I'm kinda…busy." _Connie jerked Pollux up quickly, her eyes wide.

"Where to go…Where to go…" She whispered to herself anxiously, but then she saw the miniature closet again. Pollux looked at where she was looking.

"Aw, come on. Can't we hide somewhere bet-" But she already latched onto him, and as smoothly as she could possibly could, she opened the door and shoved him in with her. Just as she shut the door, Nico opened his. Her breath sucked in.

She peered through the small slits that were carved in the door as Pollux got himself tangled into Nico's clothes. She turned toward him angrily and put her finger to her lips and he threw his hands up in return.

"_I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm totally flattered, but I-"_ Nico sighed "_I know, but I'm busy! I'm sorry, I really am, but – How am I getting reception here? Oh, hey Leo! How's rebuilding that dragon-dude going? Oh, right, sorry—Sorry! I didn't mean to offend your…Hi Hazel…Jason? Is there something wrong with you?" _She turned toward Pollux, who looked like he was listening intently.

"_No, Annabeth, I can't go back there!" _Nico's voice rose harshly, "_LOOK! I ANSWERED THE PHONE FOR PERCY! JUST PERCY! IF IT WERE FOR ANYBODY ELSE, I WOULDN'T HAVE ANSWERED IT! HE'S DEAD, ALRIGHT? HAPPY?" _Before whoever could reply, he slammed the beat-up phone from his palm to the wall, making it shatter to a bazillion pieces. Connie's eyes widened. He flung himself violently into the black flimsy mattress and sighed as he dug his forehead into his hands.

"What am I doing here?" He asked himself out loud, "I need a plan. That's what I need." She saw Pollux's eyebrows rise curiously, as if to contradict the fact that Nico always had a plan. She rolled her eyes.

"Maybe we should ambush him," She heard Pollux hiss in her ear, "Maybe this is our shot." She looked at him angrily to shut up and sit down, and he smirked at her as if to make humor of the situation.

"Hey, we can win. One idiotic girl and another awesome, attractive, muscular boy." She couldn't stand that mocking smile.

"Oh shut up, would you?" She hissed at him.

"He is too stupid to bring a weapon," He pointed out, giving her a sideways smile, "It would be a perfect time to burst out of his closet. It would freak him out." He was still smiling. How was this funny? How in the world was this funny. Her fingers balled.

"Could you please not take humor out of the situation?" She asked him slowly. But he was still smiling.

"Connie, look at this situation. We're standing here in his dirty underwear – Well, at least I am – And yet he is the one whining about his life. Even you have to admit, this is a pretty humorous moment." She rolled her eyes, fighting a smile.

"Only for anybody but us," She argued, turning toward him fully.

"I dunno," Pollux was getting into this, "I find this pretty entertaining. I mean, honestly, if somebody was in my closet-" But then, suddenly, a creak opened behind her an unusual light shined in. Her breath stopped cold. Pollux's amused smile remained.

"Hey Nico, we were just sitting in your closet." She could feel the anger rising from Nico. Slowly, she turned around. He looked terrifyingly angry. His eyes were bloodshot and his thin fingers were clenched.

"Look," She said slowly, "Ignore him. He's an idiot – he's a blubbering jerk, alright? Some Moon-Spirit took us here-"

"Lunar," Pollux chided her jokingly, and Connie shot him a stinging look.

"We'll just go back to our dungeon, alright?" She tried to say, "I mean honestly, we weren't really trying to get out of here anyways, we were just-"

"Nah, I think we were trying to get out of here," Pollux contradicted, and Nico was still standing there, terrifyingly angry, "I think we were trying to make you look like a moron in front of your father by leaving." Her eyes widened.

"I did not – Nico I wasn't trying – POLLUX!" She roared angrily, "Shut up! No, see, I went to go take a nap and when I woke up there was this-"

"Why are you trying to explain it to him Connie?" Pollux asked, his eyes still staring at Nico with a lazy smile, "He doesn't care about you anyways. He's going to slit our throats. And he's going to do it happily. Aren't you Nico? Like you tried to do to me with a smile on your face?" This time, it was Connie who was affected. A deep burn hit her stomach. Pollux though, whose smile was mocking, didn't seem to care. He was in his own world.

"Nico," She said his name in a soothing tone, "Just escort us back. He's tired. He says stupid stuff when he's tired. Trust me – The first time I met him he was screaming at a tree. Well, not a tree. More like a…it doesn't matter! Just, escort us back, alright?" But he was so mad that he was gone. Completely and utterly gone. And then, she realized what Pollux's plan was.

"Pollux," She said under her breath as she looked at Nico, who seemed like a human ticking bomb, "…Run." She was the first to the door, slamming it open with Pollux at her toes. They raced down the hallway, getting a good head start, even though she was furious at him. She rounded a corner, nearly tripping, but then she felt somebody warm take her wrist and she was pulled faster. Cautiously, she looked behind her, but Nico wasn't in sight. Suddenly she jittered to a stop. Pollux, skidded and nearly fell over. He was standing what seemed like a light year away from her, holding out his hand again.

"CONNIE!" He roared, "COME ON!" But she couldn't help but wonder why Nico wasn't there. Pollux was a quick thinker, that's why Connie needed him, but right then something was wrong.

"He's not there…" She said to him, "Why isn't he there?"

"MAYBE HES SO MAD HE DOESN'T CARE IF WE LEAVE!" Pollux snapped at her, "NOW COME ON BEFORE I KNOCK YOU OUT AND DRAG YOU MYS-" But then she saw it. The corner they were going to turn, a hundred soldiers started to march. All of them made in black stone. Slowly, but furiously. Pollux's mouth gaped.

"This isn't…" His mouth gaped, "What…No!...This…" She grabbed him quickly, and started to pull his shocked body backwards. His body barely lifted.

"POLLUX WE HAVE TO G-"But she felt somebody else grab her, with smaller hands but a bigger body. His arm wrapped around her chest, yanking her, knocking her breath away. She tried to scream, but then she felt a pinch. She felt a pain shoot through her back, so painful she couldn't even scream. Tunnel vision overcame her, her last sight was Pollux being pulled into the mist of black-stoned soldiers.

**(Imagine three dashes)**  
Her eyelids opened smoothly, a surprising feeling of peace spreading around her. She felt good – Healthy, clean, not sleepy. She couldn't remember the last time she woke up so liberating – Maybe she hasn't ever woken up liberating at all. She yawned an easy breath, feeling the soft material under her, worries gone from her mind. She sat up in the bed smoothly. Her eyes danced around the surroundings, noticing almost immediately that she was in a different place. It looked like a bedroom she'd find in her grandmother's ancient house – The entire thing made up of brook-wood, an antique bed with a matching dresser, and beautiful paintings placed out across the walls elegantly. It looked old, maybe fifty to seventy-five years. She must've been the first person in here in a while, because she could tell by the dusty smell that it had been deserted long ago.

She should've been freaking out. She should've been angry. She should've been screaming. But all she could do was stare around, appreciating the ancient interior.

"Hm," She said to herself calmly, "Why am I always the person to wake up in weird places?" Pollux wasn't there, but it was okay. Everything was going to be okay. Life felt okay. And that was all that mattered, right?

_No_, a firm voice said in the back of her mind, something is wrong. Something is definitely wrong. But she couldn't find the emotions to care. It was like they were blocked off, long gone from her reach. She'd rather sit there, staring around blankly, feeling content.

"Good morning." Her eyes fell from the walls to the doorway. There, he stood. His black hair sweeping across his face as he leaned against the doorway, a smile spreading touching his cheeks. She, for some reason, wasn't surprised to see him.

"How are you?" His eyes looked tense. She shrugged.

"Good," She told him immediately, "Good, good, good." He nodded and a slight satisfaction reflected into his eyes.

"How'd I get here?" She asked, a numb curiousness begging to be asked, "I wasn't here when I fell asleep."

"I took you here," He told her honestly. An abnormal happiness spread through her again like warm hot cocoa, but that logical voice kept sneaking into her brain. This was abnormal. She was not usually this happy. But she was happy. She was very happy. And Nico was in front of her, somebody she had been contemplating hating for quite a while, felt like icing on the cake. Why did everything seem so good? So perfect? For absolutely no reason? In complete randomness? But then, deep inside, she heard the answer echoing in her brain. Loud and obnoxious, but the emotions didn't hit her.

"You drugged me," She said plainly. His smile curved down a bit, as if he was disappointed that she got to the point so quickly. But she had survival instincts that he would never get used to.

"But you don't care." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. She agreed with him, nodding.

"And Pollux?" The question was asked in habit, "Where is he?"

"I killed him."

"Alright, what's for breakfast?" she asked, breezing through her words. A sparkle appeared in Nico's eyes.

"Come on," he told her softly, "I'll show you." She got up from the bed, her legs bouncy, and took the hand Nico was holding out. So cold, yet so satisifying. She smiled at him.

"Are you happy?" he asked, a little drop of desperateness dripping into his voice. She gave him a silly smile and gave him, no fears touching, a kiss on the cheek.

"Of course!" she exclaimed.

**AN: DUN DUN DUNNNN. Alright, I'm sorry, It's short. Sorry for mistakes as well. I loved the reviews by the way – All of them were so deep! It really did make writing worthwhile. Thank you ****Singer24, ****nikkidoesntknow, Artemis-girl123, OlleiPattson, ****artemis-girl123 (Guest). Thank you so much! (Oh, and question: Artemis-girl, are you the same person and decided to give me two beautiful reviews or are you two different people? xD ) REVIEWS PRETTY PLEASE WITH SUGAR ON TOP! **


	19. The Closet

**A Nightlight**

It was an average dinner at Camp Half-Blood that afternoon. The children sang from their tables, talking too loud for their own good, oblivious to the darkness crowding the moon. Laughs spread through the air as marsh mellows spread around generously, but something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. It looked like what it looked like every night, except for one thing. One thing that was missing.

Chiron, the only person who was regarded in the happy scene, was looking at the empty seat next to him nervously. Dionysus was never gone for a meal – No matter how much he would storm out shouting that he wasn't going to be at dinner, or about how he was going to leave and talk to Zeus about these arrangements, he would always be at dinner. Not just because he was required to, but because Chiron knew he secretly liked seeing the innocent happiness in the air. Mortal or not mortal, it was something everybody appreciated to see.

Finally, after what seemed like timeless nervousness, he saw Dionysus out of the corner of his eyes. He was hoping for a neutral face, but then when he saw the look on Dionysus's face his eyes widened.

"Mr. D are you-"

"SILENCE!" his voice roared like a god, unnatural for a mortal's ears. Everybody seized, some even cupping their ears. Dionysus's hands were balled, and nobody disregarded the large rings of purple around his eyes.

"Dionysus," Chiron said gently under his breath, "Calm down." Dionysus's eyes glowered at the centaur.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Dionysus shouted, sticking his index finger in his face, "You have no idea what has happened!" Chiron backed up a little, giving Dionysus space, and put his hands in front of him innocently. Dionysus put his finger down, obviously flustered, and rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"What happened?" Chiron asked, "What's wrong?" Dionysus was shaking, shaking terribly, and shook his head.

"My son – He-" Chiron turned to the many children who were staring at them intently, with a silence he had rarely heard. Dionysus obviously didn't care.

"Maybe we shouldn't do this here-"

"NO!" Dionysus roared again, "My son…He…He hasn't…" They all knew what this meant. The two week deadline. If somebody hadn't come back in two weeks without any hint of surviving, followed by a known disaster, they were to assume the hero dead. Many people had seen this coming – Rumors in the air that somebody had contacted them spreading Pollux's death – plus the fact that Dionysus had started to show up less and less in front of people ever since Pollux left. It was the first time that Dionysus openly admitted to caring for somebody other than himself.

Chiron's lips formed a thin line at first, an ancient look staring into his eyes as if even he, along with the rest of the campers, didn't know how to respond to this. Dionysus stared away from him, toward the crowd of children viciously.

"Pollux is not dead – My s_on _is not dead!" Dionysus bellowed to them strongly, "I need a hero to prove it." There were no jumping hands. Normally, there would be twenty volunteers by now, but the true realization had overcome them even if Dionysus didn't believe it.

"COME ON!" He screamed, a desperateness hanging in his voice, "ONE OF YOU NUISANCES RAISE YOUR HANDS!" Reluctantly, two hands shot in the air, better known as the Stoll Brothers. Dionysus squinted his eyes at the two boys who volunteered. He knew them well, even if they didn't know that he did.

"You'll leave tomorrow morning." He turned away from the crowd coldly, as if he had never made a big deal at all.

**(imagine three dashes)**

Nico told her everything but yet nothing at all. He told her the drug was to make her content. Calm. Nothing bad. But he didn't tell her that the drug shut off all emotions in her brain except for pleasure, and of course the need to have loyalty toward him. He told her the other part of her brain – The logical side – was still in motion though, so she could make rational decisions. He didn't tell her that he put a permanent rune on her that made her incapable of lying to him. He didn't tell her that every decision she made as long as the drug he put in her was active, would be on his word. Instead, he told her everything was going to be alright.

"Why are you telling me this?" She asked as she shoved a mouthful of eggs in her mouth, "I mean, I don't really care. I'm here. With you. You wouldn't hurt me, I know that." Because deep down he questioned his actions. Because she was too special to be shut in the dark.

"I just don't want you thinking that I hurt you," He told her softly, watching her eat, "Do you like your eggs?" She nodded happily.

"Great," He said in reply, his eyes looking at her half-suspiciously, "Here, have some coffee. You look like you haven't had warmth in weeks." And it was true, she didn't. Every time he saw her she was dead white, as if the bones under her was so cold she was going to crumble. She looked at the coffee eagerly, her eyes lighting up. Immediately, she cupped it into her hands, cherishing the warmth.

"You say that like you have," She scuffed jokingly, "You've been in the wilderness for what now – Weeks? Months?" He smirked.

"A year and a half," He corrected lightly as he sat back in his chair, "But, unlike you, I have connections." Her eyebrows rose amusingly.

"Connections?" She repeated, half-mockingly as she took a sip of her coffee. He nodded, tilting back his chair.

"Yes," He confirmed, "Like this house." She rolled her eyes.

"You stole this house, Nico."

"I make my connections," He added, "While you and Pollux-" His voice stopped abruptly, trying to get his name out of head. Her eyes seemed to light up like a baby owl.

"Pollux?" She asked, confused, "What about him?" His eyes flashed darkly.

"Nothing," He told her sharply, "Don't think about him. Ever." She nodded obediently.

"Alright then," She said easily, "What are we doing today?" He shrugged.

"What do you want to do?" He asked her, "I mean, we can't do anything big since the town is kinda a long way away, but I can show you around, if you'd like?" She nodded eagerly, and taking her arm, he led her around the house.

**(imagine three dashes)**

He forgot how colorful grey eyes could be. Her eyes glanced around excitingly as he showed her toward the old guest bedroom, the bathroom, the main room, the living room, the sun room, and many other insignificant places that she found absolutely beautiful. She held his hand tightly as he guided around, until they made it back to the living room, her still in happy glees.

"I mean, it's not much but-"

"I LOVE IT!" She shouted as she plopped down on the living room couch lazily, "It's not…New York. In New York you don't have a porch or a laundry room or anything that! This is…This is…_Perfect._" The word seemed like gold in his ears.

"Are you okay with it?" Nico asked, sitting next to her stiffly, "I mean, you're going to be living here." He tried to say the words smoothly, expecting a harsh reaction, but she seemed calm.

"Really?" She asked, her smile beaming, "We're going to stay here?" He breathed a laugh.

"For a long time," He told her soothingly, "Forever, if you want to." Suddenly, she attacked him. Her arms hugged his neck happily.

"You know," She confessed, "I have never doubted you. Ever." And that, in all, made everything he had done to her almost worth it.

**(Imagine three dashes) **

They spent the rest of the day in the garden. Behind the house, a huge garden blazed, and for some odd reason, Connie found it gorgeous. She snagged a basket from underneath one of the cabinets in the kitchen and started picking fruits and vegetables all over the place. Watching, Nico sat underneath a large oak. How she got so excited over the little things like this? He didn't know.

"Woah, Connie…" She was climbing up a pear tree, "You could just pick one of the pears on the lower-"

"What's the point of getting something if you aren't going to work for it?" She stopped him. He sat there, and smiled, shaking his head.

"Good point," He pointed out lightly, "Good point. But don't you want to at least come down and get something to ea-"

"I'm not hungry, but if you want something I'll come down," Her voice said highly as her body seemed to disappear. Nico heard his stomach growl, but he could only admire the picture.

"Nah, just throw me a fruit," Nico shouted finally, and almost instantly a fruit was in his hand. He laughed as it appeared. It was an apple – Speckled and imperfect. But he liked imperfect, and he when it munched into his mouth it seemed better than anything he could imagine.

His eyes beamed up at her, as she landed down with a full basket in her hand.

"I got everything," She told him, pointing at the odd shapes and colors, "Well, everything in here, I suppose. I wished there was oranges here, but I guess I'll have to find some seeds for those so I can plant them myself." He frowned.

"But I thought you were….Happy?" He asked slowly, carefully even. She blinked at him.

"Well, of course I'm happy!" She said sharply, "Why wouldn't I be?" At first, he just stared at her stupidly, but then shrugged.

"Just making sure you're fine, Connie," He told her simply, "I don't want you to feel as if…" His voice disappeared, but it didn't matter because it looked like she was in her own world already. She was staring off at a distance, as if the odd red colors stunned her.

"How long have we been out here?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Four—Maybe five hours?" He guessed. He was expecting an apologetic look, but she looked content.

"Well, it wasn't a very productive day, but it was fun," She said to him, "I guess we should just go inside then?" He nodded, taking her hand gladly.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

"No," He told her firmly, "That is not happening." She took the oreos away from him, smirking slightly, and shaking her head.

"Even _I _know how to play poker, Nico," She said to him, piling her new betting oreos neatly. He counted his oreos quickly.

"Well, I still have elev-"

"And I have twenty-six," She laughed, "But I guess it's just a number, isn't it?" She was mocking him. Each oreo she took, that's what he told her. It's just a number. He shifted in his chair, taking a step back in the situation.

Watching her was just beautiful. She didn't even look that fancy – Just in an old nightgown and her hair braided down the side, but the glow on her face. The smile. The light in her eyes. There was just something about her. He could never explain it, but it was something he would never get over. The hope in her eyes. The love in them. The unusual gift of acceptance. She didn't know she was unique, but he did. And that was all that mattered.

"It is, but I have to go to sleep soon," He told her, "One last round?" Her eyes looked at him sneakily.

"It's on," She smirked.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

He laid in bed that night, staring into the cracked and demented ceiling over him. He didn't regret it. He didn't regret drugging her. It was a long day, a severely long day, but for the first time in his life he was truly pleased with himself.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

"So this is what an Oklahoma town is like," She whispered out loud as they finally got to the shopping center. She wasn't a spender, he knew, but she needed clothes. It wasn't a huge town they were at, he couldn't risk that, but the tiny town he managed to get to from a Grey Hound bus was in front of them.

"Here," He said, handing her some cash, "I don't know how the whole…girly…shop…thing goes, so I'll just give you the money." She looked down at the bills he handed her. It wasn't much, but compared to what they had been living off of lately, it must've seemed like a lot to her.

"But Nico-"

"Go on," He said to her, smiling slightly, "Just remember to come back." She looked at him half-heartedly, but then walked away from him into the shops with a light shining in her eyes.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

"We're having French toast? That's new," Her voice rang into the kitchen. He turned around sharply, eyeing the golden child in front of him. She looked like she had just woken up with her frizzy black hair and her droopy grey eyes, but she was smiling.

"It's not new," He told her, blinking, "We had it yesterday." Her eyebrows rose amusingly at the crackling pan that was sizzling in front of him. She bent down into a chair, draping her body with a blanket.

"We had omelets yesterday."

"Oh, then we had it the day before."

"We gave up that day and decided to do cereal, remember?"

"Fine, the day before that."

"Nico, we had pancakes." Ah, yes. That was how fast the days were going. How they were going so fast? He didn't know, but yet they were. Day after day, thing after thing. It seemed like a thousand years ago that they were living in a nightmare, and yet now things were going into place.

"Then when did we have French toast?" He asked, trying to rack his brain. She shook her head amusingly.

"The first Wednesday I was here," She told him. He smiled to himself happily when she said that.

"Oh, well," He said, rolling his eyes, "Same thing." He turned away toward the fridge, about to take out the syrup, but then she yelped.

"NICO!" He swerved around sharply, expecting something horrible around her, but she was alone. Untouched.

"That's horrible syrup!" She exclaimed. He blinked at her, relief filling him. He looked down at the due date.

"No, I mean it's bad for you!" She said, a small giggle in her voice.

"What do you want me to use then?" He asked her. She shrugged.

"I guess we should just use fruit," She suggested. He looked at the ripe fruit laid out onto the counter and frowned.

"Hey," She said sharply, "They're good for you! Please?" He looked at her, and rolled his eyes again.

"Fine, only for you," He told her.

**(imagine three dashes)**

That night, their laughs rang as he walked up the stairs. The house was usually dim, but the full moon shined in brightly, causing a ghostly light. His fingers were attached to her's as they stumbled down the hall, tears coming to their eyes.

He stopped suddenly at her room though, not daring to go closer. She stopped as well, looking at him.

"Good night," He said awkwardly. She kissed him on the cheek, surprisingly.

"Good night," She repeated, and before he could move toward her, she closed the door.

**(imagine three dashes)**

He knocked on her door twice.

"Connie?" He asked. No answer. He knocked again.

"Connie?" His voice rose, but he didn't hear anything. He was about to open the door before he heard a crash below him. He bolted down, expecting an intruder, but then in the peak of the kitchen he saw dark hair swing side to side over sink. He sighed under his breath, finally realizing he forgot to fix that old dishwasher again that decided to keep breaking. He walked into the kitchen calmly.

"Connie, you don't-"

"No, I like it," She interrupted him, a familiar tone hanging in her voice, "I mean, I know it probably doesn't make sense, but I like washing dishes. I always have, it was just hard to get away with when you had a maid at home that came every morning. It reminds me of life. Falling down, dirtying yourself up, but always reminding yourself that any stain can be fixed." For a moment, he could only stare at her from a distance as she wiped off the dishes perfectly. She did look like she enjoyed it, and not with the new happy gleam that filled her eyes, but an older one. As if she had always enjoyed it.

It seemed to question what he was making from her. He didn't see this look much, the old happy gleam, but yet a new one. Was that new one only from what he made her from? What made her stay here?

He didn't argue with her, but yet said in a small voice, "Okay."

**(imagine three dashes here)**

"This isn't coffee," She said, frowning, "This is…." Her eyes followed down toward the bland, less rich substance. It looked like coffee if she glimpsed at it, but if as she looked at it in a full glance she noticed the watery texture.

"…Tea," She finished. She wasn't disappointed, but yet confused why he had made such a drastic change. It was a part of her schedule – The few schedules in life she had ever liked.

"Yeah, I know," he said, giving her a reassuring smile, "But I read somewhere that coffee was bad for you. Tea is healthier. And I mean, since you're making me go healthy, I decided maybe we should just stop the coffee." She looked at it, open to the idea.

"I've never really had tea," She admitted, "New York is such a…coffee-place. I guess I've never thought about it." His smile seemed to look larger when she looked at him. He shrugged.

"I guess we all need some change though, don't we?" He asked her, sipping his own tea. She gave him the same smile he was reflecting at her. A hotness filled her dramatically with each sip she took.

"Yes," She agreed, "We do."

**(imagine three dashes here)**

He felt awkward sitting here on her bed talking about random things. It felt off-limits. Like he wasn't supposed to be here. She insisted for him to come in, something he hadn't expected, so he obeyed her smoothly, climbing into her bed and talking. But the longer he stayed there, the more anxious he got.

"Look," He said, looking at the clock that showed the glowing letters of a good time mark, "I've been up here for a while. I think I should go back to bed." Something flickered in her eyes, he saw, but she nodded anyways.

"Okay," She said, her voice low. He smiled at her sadly, unsure what he felt when he walked away.

** (imagine three dashes here)**

"Here, try this," He told her. He handed her a cup, and she took it gladly.

"Oh, is this the tea?" She asked uncertainly, "It looks lighter." He nodded as he sat down next to her with his own tea. She looked at her's curiously.

"It's Asian tea," He informed her, "It doesn't taste too different." She looked down at it, shrugging, and took a sip.

**(imagine three dashes)**

A sweet smell seemed to awaken him that day. He rolled out of bed lazily, and walked down the stairs. He didn't know how silent he was until he got to where the scent was coming from. It was her, of course. She was making something.

She turned around sharply, noticing his prescense.

"Hey," She said, "How…How are you?" He smiled at her.

"Good, of course," He told her, reaching for her as he walked in, "What are you making?"

"Peach cobbler."

"In the morning?" He questioned, frowning. She shrugged.

"I mean, why not?" She asked him with a smile, "Who is stopping us?" The question blared into his head. Why not?

**(imagine three dashes here)**

That was the moment he had to leave, he realized as he watched that evil clock twitch, but then he finally said plainly to himself that he didn't have to leave. For once, maybe it wasn't a bad idea to just stop and cherish the moment. She didn't look like she cared, and he definitely didn't care. He watched as she stared at him, waiting for the moment he had to walk away, but the words were soundless. It was a choice. And he made his decision.

And as they laid there together quietly, he didn't feel her hesitate to cuddle up to him. No warning in her eyes, no second-guessing. She trusted him. And even though it was just a regular night – Nothing happening – It was the best night of his life. Just sitting there, letting her trust him even if sometimes he didn't trust himself.

He watched her close her eyes slowly, forgetting his existence but yet clinging to it at the same exact time.

**(imagine three dashes here) **

He looked at the series of letters that overflew his desk. Connie didn't come in here, it was the only room she was forbidden to see, but sometimes he wondered why he even bothered. What was she going to do if she saw these letters? Run out? Leave? She would never leave him. And not only that, but he didn't come to this room himself anymore. In the beginning, he decided it was going to be his secret room, but he was done with his past. He had stopped worrying about it, he had abandoned it. He would never go back.

"Never," He recited to himself.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

Connie sat there under the hot sun, clinging to Nico's hand. He looked happy, she realized, a light in his eyes that she only imagined to see.

"You want to go to town today?" He asked as they layed in the green grass. She shook her head.

"Unless you want to," She countered, "I don't really need anything." His smile deepened.

"Me either." But she wondered, as she layed out in the hot sun, if she truly didn't need anything. It was the best time of her life, but life changes. Sometimes people needed a twist. But she squeezed his hand.

"Lets make marsh mellows tonight," She suggested happily.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

"Nico," She said, a curiousness blaring in her head, "Something just popped in my head and I just have to ask…" He looked at her patiently as she rubbed her hand across the hot tea cup.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked. There was no reassurance in her voice, but yet just a question. It seemed so long ago that it seemed an issue, but lately she felt the idea resurface.

"No," Nico said, after a hesitation, "I thought about it. But when my father wasn't going to kill you I realized that it was about time I start realizing life is good, even if it isn't good to me." She didn't say anything, but yet looked down at the dark pool of water in her hand. She could see the reflection of her eyes as she looked down, not sure what she was seeing in her eyes. Happiness? Was that happiness?

"Now can I ask you a question?" His voice asked hollowly. She looked up at him, his black eyes staring down at her daringly.

"Well, sure," She said, blinking. She tried to remember the smiling face that once was on it, but by the look of the anxious expression that replaced it, it was almost like it never existed.

"Do you love me?" She was sure his words were supposed to come out loud, clear, but instead they came out in a mumble.

Immediately, she heard her voice say before she had time to think, "Yes." They had a silent moment, him looking at her with deep eyes. Her eyes trailed away, trying to wonder what had made her say it so quickly. The first time he asked, she wouldn't tell him. But now it was different. Was it because she lived with him? Was it because she felt like she needed him? No…She said to herself…She wasn't that weak, she knew that if you loved somebody it wasn't because anything they could do or would do for you.

She shifted from the couch uncomfortably. Nico, tired, yawned. He looked at her immediately, apologetically.

"We should sleep," She told him firmly. His eyes looked at her, as if he was the dazed one. He looked at the clock, as if realizing for the first time that it was late.

"I know you wanted to stay up," Nico said quickly, "We don't have to…"

"No," She told him firmly, "I think we're both exhausted. We need to sleep." He looked at her, confused.

"But-"

"I need to take a shower," She said, "I'll meet you up?" Before he could reply, she tipped up the stairs.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

She watched him as he slept. She usually slept well when he was next to her, it brought down the thoughts. The thoughts she didn't want to think of. He took it away.

She thought suddenly that she did love him. It wasn't just a voice saying it. Maybe it was truly her. Maybe it was just such a strong question that she couldn't figure out why she said it so quickly. But she did. She always would. She may be young, and they may have had hard times, but that didn't stop her from loving him. She would always.

**(Imagine three dashes here)**

The clock dazed in her head as she opened her eyes. It mocked her for a moment and she stared at it soundlessly until she finally saw the numbers that were beaming up. She hand reached for the snooze button, telling herself the morning could start thirty minutes earlier, until she realized what she forgot to do. The dishes.

"Shoot!" She hissed under her breath as she hopped out of the bed angrily. She grabbed her robe and silently left the room, hoping quickly afterword that she hadn't woken up Nico.

**(imagine three dashes here)**

Soap water splashed everywhere as she scrubbed the plates roughly. She had to get the eggs ready, the bread toasted, the tea brewing, yet she hadn't even finished the plates! Her day was already in a long slope. She sighed to herself earnestly.

She heard the footsteps approach behind her. She was about to turn around with a wide smile on her face, but instantly she felt a new aura in the air. A cold, terrible aura. She knew something was wrong. She didn't turn to look at him, but yet froze.

"How long have you been immune to the drug?" The plate in her hand slipped from her fingers and shattered across the floor dramatically. She didn't call to it, but yet her fingers clawed into edge of the sink as the truth slipped between her teeth forcefully.

"Ever since you started putting it into my tea."

**AN: Man, some harsh comments. That was a hard chapter D: I'm kinda nervous for your reactions. Well, I'm kinda excited for the reviews as well. DON'T LOSE FAITH IN ME. Or at least don't assume what I'll do next. Sorry for mistakes. Thank yoooou ****Artemis-girl123, nikkidoesntknow, justsomebodyP, Secret Lover, Singer24, triforceofwisdom. PLEASE REVIEW. It seriously helps me. It motivates me. My fellow writers understand this. Each review is cherished, it's not just another review. **


	20. The Puppetmaster

**Strings Attached**

It was black. Wherever he was, it was black. He was lost, he said surely, in-between life and death. Limbo. The lady said she'd bring him to where he was supposed to be, but now he felt even more misplaced. His body, feeling like an abandoned cast, obviously didn't know how to move. His head banged loudly, as if his own skull knew he wasn't in the right body. He didn't want to be here…He wanted to go back…Go back to where the lady was…

He was about to close his eyes and let his mind wander back into endless sleep, when he heard voices approach.

"Connor, I think you broke it."  
"I didn't break it! Wait – Give it to me!"

"CONNOR! DON'T-" A snap hit his ears.

"TRAVIS!" One of the boys screamed. Slowly, Pollux felt himself sit up. The voices strengthen, going into a cursing match. His eyes, not seeming like his still, adjusted to the blackness. He saw the two figures, one slightly taller than the other.

"Stolls?" He asked feebly. Suddenly, the boy's stopped.

"POLLUX!" They screamed together. He felt their footsteps rumble, and suddenly he was being grabbed. He felt himself be lifted into the awful sunlight, making him screech in pain. He never felt so dead, he realized, he never wished to be dead.

The boys seated him on a rock, force-feeding him ambrosia as he sat there, still trying to digest the scene. They were talking to him, he realized, and for some reason as he watched them, they seemed to be more surprised than happy. Like they didn't expect to find him. Or at least, not like this.

"What happened?" He interrupted them roughly. They both stopped, and looked each other. They were silent, staring at him blankly.

"You don't know do you?" Pollux asked slowly, his eyes narrowing, "You don't know what happened to me." They shook their heads. He wanted to not believe them, because believing what they said meant believing what had happened to him only minutes before his eyes opened. He would have to believe that maybe what he saw in the back of his head was real.

"We thought _you_ did," Travis murmured, confused. Pollux put his head in his hands, wondering now if he was in Hell, but then a question beamed in his mind.

"What about my friend?" Pollux asked quickly, "Connie? The girl?" His eyes filled with what reminded him of what life is: Pain. The boys looked at each other again, a horrible glance shading in their eyes equally.

"Pollux," Connor was the first to speak, "Everybody thinks you're dead." At first, he didn't understand, it was completely irrelevant, but then a lively spur filled his body so powerful that it nearly knocked him out again.

"And you're saying...people think she is dead too?"

**(imagine three dashes here)**

His eyes flashed at her dangerously, his pale body shaking. Her mouth dried as she felt herself back up as far as she could away from him, which wasn't that far saying she had been leaning over the sink. His black eyes seemed to cloud, and she couldn't tell if it was pain filling them or anger.

"You knew? After all this time?" He asked in a low voice. Her teeth clenched.

"You're only supposed to give somebody drugs occasionally, Nico," She informed him tightly, "Not three times a day. Not even more than once a week! If I didn't become immune…I probably would've died anyways of overdose." She didn't know what he was thinking, and she didn't know if she wanted to. She had to be brave though; she had to keep being brave.

For the first few weeks, she went along with it, going in and out of this weird trance of drugged happiness, but it was only the last couple weeks that she was fully out of it. She caught on that she couldn't lie to him, something she realized through time that had to be permanent. She thought of her options, she thought of what she wanted, but after weighing her factors, she realized that her life here was good with or without drugs. There were a few things she despised, like the ability to not lie to him, but as long as he didn't ask the truth life would be good.

"So why didn't you tell me?" Nico asked in an intimidating voice, "You've just been…lying to me? You've been tricking me?" She knew memories were flashing behind his eyes, pain finally being the emotion she saw. She shook her head quickly.

"No," She replied, his rune working against her will, "You know that's not possible." He took a step towards her and she swallowed. Her legs wanted to stumble away from her spot, but the strength in her stopped her. _No, _she thought to herself in the back of her head, _I will not let myself feel infuriated. _

"And you didn't leave," He noticed, "Why didn't you leave?" The answer was humiliating. She bit her lip, trying to get the words to hang in. She didn't want to look weak, to look pathetic, but Nico put something in her that would always win. Something that would always count against her.

"Because I didn't want to." It could've meant a million things, she knew, but it only meant one thing to her. Vulnerability. She didn't want him to see that.

At first, he was still as stone, and she was unsure if he was going to lash out or yell at her. She was ready though, she was ready to finally defend herself without him controlling her. But then he did the most unpredictable thing: he walked away.

She has had hard times with Nico. She has had to fight for her life against him, she has had to be his enemy in the worst of times, she was always the one to take the arena, but she had never seen Nico walk away. She has seen many things – Many horrible circumstances between the two – But she never expected him to give up. And when she did finally see him walk away, she fell apart harder than she thought she ever could.

He turned his back against her, slamming the back door that proceeded into the garden loudly. She realized then that she wished he would lash out. Because leaving her there, abandoning her, felt so much worse.

She felt herself slide against the old cabinets, her bottom touching the broken glass slightly as she put her head between her knees. How was she going to do this? How were they supposed to get through this? You can't forget something like this, she thought to herself, their relationship will never be the same.

She shook her head at herself, realizing that this wasn't supposed to be how it goes. They were supposed to flip out, cause destruction that almost couldn't be fixed, and then forgive each other. Because that's what they did. They didn't fight like regular people. They fought to the extreme. But this? This was something that a mundane would do. Something that she, clearly, didn't know how to handle.

She sat their motionless for a long time, evaluating their kitchen that may not ever be 'theirs' anymore. She wanted to be here. To live here. To stay here. Where else would she go? Back to Manhattan? No. Just go ahead and die? No. Go see if Pollux was truly dead, like Nico said? She choked, shaking the thought from her head. She didn't like those words, she ignored them, she pretended that he was alive, because she wasn't strong enough to face even the idea of him being permanently gone.

She felt her knees buckle up, her hands swiping the extra glass that hung at her jeans away. Her body led her away outside of the house, following the garden trail. No, she didn't know what she was doing, but she knew that when regular people get into a fight they talk about it. Most of the time. So she followed where she thought he went, until she heard his voice. And then it was over.

"Nico, you can't keep calling me! This is why Hades took me away from my lives. He told me I wasn't ready to continue, because of _you._" It was a girl's voice, she realized. Suddenly, anger came over her. Was he cheating on her? No, surely not. But who was she? Her feet stopping crunching against the ground as silently as she could as she slowly approached them. She saw his head from between the tree branches, about to walk into the scene, but then just when she saw the girl she froze.

It wasn't just a girl, it was a ghost. A ghost that he was talking to. Her eyes seemed to widen. She had seen the Spirit of the Moon, but she has never seen a true ghost. She was beautiful she had to say – Gorgeous.

They were in a small patch of grass, and Nico was pacing around her. The girl wore a long grayish gown that went past her feet, and her hands were clasped together at her waist calmly. It was hard to tell what colors her eyes and hair was, but she knew she was exotic. Her face looked at Nico neutrally, no emotion spreading.

"I know!" He said, frustrated, "But…Something bad happened." He spilled the details. Everything. Her facial expression didn't change as she listened, not even when he talked about the drugs. The awful, horrifying things he did to her. In a way, it angered her. She should've been treated better than that, a voice said in the back of her mind, she deserved better than that.

"You shouldn't have drugged her, Nico," She said calmly after Nico cooled down. Finally, Connie thought to herself in a scuff. Nico stopped dead, his eyes flaming angrily.

"She told me to do it, Bianca!" Suddenly, her breath sucked in. _Bianca. _That was his…his _dead _sister. Her hands found her mouth in shock.

"I know, but Nico-"

"You told me to listen to her, Bianca! You _told _me!" He was turning on his own sister now, pointing fingers aggressively. But the girl stood calm, her fingers clasped together firmly. She nodded.

"She told you to make her a home," Bianca corrected slowly, "She did not say to drug her." Nico's face pinched together, so mad that he couldn't even speak.

"She is the moon," Bianca said quickly, "You must not take Lunar's advice in a medieval way or it will not work." Her breath sucked in. _Lunar. _

"It was all a lie," She said to herself under her breath, her fingers digging into her palms in anger, "Lunar lied."

"THEN WHY ISN'T CONNIE NEXT TO ME?" Nico roared, "Huh? Tell me that Bianca!" This time, Bianca's lips tightened.

"Lunar is a friend of mine," She said to him in a strained tone, "I know you are mad, but you cannot blame this on her. She knows what she is doing." At first, Nico said nothing, but yet glowered at his dead sister.

"I don't see her helping me, Bianca," He told her, "I don't see anybody helping me."

"She did help you," Bianca reminded him, "Remember?" Connie was guessing the obvious thing – Her ending up here – but for some reason she thought it was a different favor.

"Are you talking about the boy?" Nico stopped pacing suddenly. Connie edged toward them, farther into the branches. Bianca nodded.

"That wasn't a favor," Nico said, waving her off, "I didn't care if he was dead or not." Connie sucked in her breath, unsure of what he meant. It still hurt that Nico didn't care about Pollux's life.

"It was a favor." Bianca said firmly, "Connie is powerful, no matter how much you like to believe now that she won't take in the power, she is as powerful as she is destined. The only reason she isn't reacting toward you negatively is because she knows he isn't dead deep down. If she did, if she truly believed he was dead, nothing could bring her here. Not even your drugs." Connie looked at Bianca skeptically. She didn't understand. She didn't understand at all.

"Can we please not talk about him?" Nico said, clawing the air, "I don't want to talk about him!" Bianca shrugged neutrally.

"Personally, I always liked him," She said, feeding to his anger, "He was the one who reassured me when I fell apart that night. The night before I left for that quest. He told me that if I was sure of being a daughter of Artemis, than I would be one." Nico shot her a dirty look.

"Yeah, and look at where his advice got you. _Dead_." His words were cold, and it clearly offended Bianca because her jaw clenched.

"I do not regret my death, Nico," She said to him coolly, "Death is yet the next great adventure." This time, he turned his back to her, crossing his arms tightly. The anger washed away from her grey eyes instantly, her irises holding a sad shade. Connie knew that she was looking at him as a young boy now, as if she was remembering him before she died.

"Nico," Her voice was gentle, "She won't leave you." Connie blinked at her, unsure if even she believed her words.

"How do you know that?" Nico grumbled, "You try every single thing you can to get away from me. Even trying to reincarnate yourself. How would you know?" This, obviously, pained Bianca, as if this was an argument they had many times, but she merely sighed.

"You know, I always questioned as a girl who you would end up with, just like I did for myself. I always wondered if it would be a beautiful average doe or a corky girl who wasted her time at MythoCon," She admitted to him with a slight smile on her face, "And yet, Connie is neither. Instead, she is much more."

"You didn't end up with anybody. You swore to turn your back on men for as long as you lived," Nico pointed out. Her smile turned guilty.

"Nico," She said, with a motherly tone, "There is a life after death." Nico turned to her, half curious but then at the same time debating on whether he wanted to know who Bianca's love was. Connie still saw the hostile glare in his eyes, but she knew it softened when he heard that.

"What do I do now?" He asked, sighing deeply, "I left. I just walked up and…And left." His sister frowned at him.

"You work it out, Nico," She said to him, "You guys are allies now. It's about time you start acting like it." For a moment, Bianca wasn't looking at him anymore. Instead, she turned toward Connie. As if beneath all the trees, all the branches, away from Nico, she knew Connie was there. And she stared Connie straight in the eye, the advice clearly to her. Connie stumbled back, her breath knocked away.

** (imagine three dashes here)**

She made it to the living room just barely before he made it to the house. He placed a cup of warm tea in front of her when he walked in, and she stared up at him in disgust.

"It doesn't have…_it_…in it," He mumbled as he sat on the creaky recliner in front of her, "If you don't believe me…Taste it. The drug adds a lemon taste, but that's just regular green tea." She looked into the ceramic cup, staring at the bland green tint swimming. At first she was silent, but then she nodded.

"I believe you," She said to him in a low voice, "But…I don't want any tea." He looked up, his black mooned-eyes shining. It looked like her words were magic to him. She knew what was going through his head, a million possibilities that determined her next move.

"I don't want to leave you," She heard herself say. Bianca's voice echoed in her head tauntingly, and she wondered if she was just listening to Bianca or herself. He didn't say anything back, but merely stared at her in awe.

"But I will," A ripple of mixed emotions spurred through her, "If I have to." Those simple words that could've once meant a million things, only meant one. His eyes looked at her, as is trying to reach for her. She thought that was all she wanted to say, but as she stared at him, with his eyes wandering into her's curiously, she realized she had much more to say.

"Why though?" Her voice shook suddenly, "Why couldn't have you just talked to me?" He blinked at her.

"I tried," He reminded her, "In the dungeon." Her throat closed up for a moment, as if it was the affect of reminiscing the horrible memory, but she stood her composure.

"No, you wanted to fight alongside of me. I told you that wouldn't happen," She corrected firmly as she stood up from the couch. She felt herself fulfill her again – The part of her she had been resisting for weeks now. The one part of her that held fire. He sat up, a flame flickering in his eyes slightly. But she saw the forfeit win.

"Fine," He gave up quickly, "I did it because I was done. I was done fighting. This world has enough of it." She looked at him, her eyes dawning. Slowly, she sat back down, trying to understand what was wrong with her. One moment trying to make it perfect, the next trying to tear it apart….

"But I have questions too," He added quickly. She swallowed, peace slowly taking over.

"Okay," She breathed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. "Why didn't you tell me from the beginning?" At first, she thought she knew what to say, but then she shook her head.

"I didn't know at the beginning," She admitted honestly, "I didn't know. I was just happy, and then sometimes sad, and then happy again. And then everything came back. Slowly." This time, his eyes looked determined. Angry almost. His black eyes turning more than just a colorful iris. But she knew it was only the energy of Hades that was making him look this way.

"And you didn't leave," He murmured, "Why? Because you were scared? Because you felt like there was nowhere else left to go? Because-"

"Because this was why I started this," She interrupted defensively, "_This_ is why I left. I left for _you _Nico. To be with you." Something seemed to soften in his eyes, a mix between astonishment and pain.

"Sometimes," He said after a moment, "I forget. I forget why we start things. I forget what made us strive for the beginning in the first place."

"Because a goal always ends with a different goal," She replied immediately, her eyes blank. He looked at her curiously.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked her. Her eyes bored into his, as if trying to see what he made out of it.

"Me." But it wasn't her, she realized, it was Pollux. Pollux's soul speaking out of her. It was then that Bianca's words flowed into her head, the part about Pollux being alive. Or not being alive. She didn't know – it was all too confusing. She was tempted to ask, to open her mouth and spit the words that she feared most, but she couldn't. She didn't want to know. That was the one thing Bianca didn't know – It wasn't that she thought Pollux was alive, it was that she'd rather not question it.

"Well, it's true," Nico said, a small smile hanging from his face, "I guess we do sometimes, don't we?" She didn't answer but yet nodded as she picked up the warm cup that she swore not to take and cuddled it into her hands.

"But," Nico said, "Sometimes the new goal isn't a goal at all. Sometimes we just have to let go."

**AN: Short. I get it. Fine. Thank you ****nikkidoesntknow, ****OlleiPattson, My Secret Lover, Guest, Singer24, triforceofwisdom, Artemis-girl123, & MadlyMagical. Hate it? Love it? REVIEWS PLEEEEASE. I'm having a bad day today, and it would really spark my life if you did so. **


	21. The End

The Gamekeeper

His feet stopped at the pavilion. They hadn't noticed him yet; the friends who weren't really his friends, his mentors that didn't ever mentor, his father that hadn't fathered until now. There was no grudge when he thought of this, but yet a bitter taste of ignorance. They weren't bad people – He was just too ignorant in the past to realize what was really around him. Nothing.

As his mind raced, quietness grew. Their attention seemed to narrow, and he realized after a moment it was him that made them seize. It felt so odd, he thought to himself, finally being the one who had the most attention. Neither him or Castor ever had any attention.

Somewhere in the crowd, interrupting bravely, somebody shouted. He heard the gruff voice, a boy who he probably talked to in some way or another, a couple cute girls smiling at him widely as if now that he was living he was attractive, and his father was dead silent. He turned to him, his attention only at him. Dionysus looked at him, his face lazy, his body slumped, but he saw the curiousness in his eyes.

"Oh, hur-rah!" Dionysus spat sarcastically at the crowd, "The boy from the dead walks! Now get back to your eating and chitty-chatty-ness." Once upon a time, he would've been angry for that remark, but he heard from the Stolls what his father had done. Truthfully, that's why he came back. He wanted the Stolls to get some recognition, for once.

He felt his feet move to his father, no fear showing. His father didn't look at him until he made it to the table.

"You do know I'm eating? I'll deal with this father-son thing later." Dionysus waved him off. Pollux's eyes narrowed.

"I'm going on another quest." Dionysus didn't show any emotions.

"And I may not come back," Pollux continued, "I'm looking for a girl." Dionysus's eyes seemed to flash.

"And who said you could go? I didn't hear that curly-girl give you a prophecy." Pollux's hands fell to the table, clenching it tightly until he felt his fingers dig into the wood.

"You didn't give me a prophecy," he reminded his father, "And I understand that now. I understand why you didn't give me one. But I'm here to tell you that my quest isn't over yet." Dionysus's eyes looked, for once, dead serious. Curious. Like a father should be.

"So why did you come back?" Dionysus asked, his voice low.

"Because sometimes people need some recognition for what they do," Pollux told him, "I'm leaving now though. So…bye." He swerved away, listening to the murmurs trail along.

He was nearly out of the pavilion when he heard, "You are going to go find the girl aren't you?" Pollux swerved around sharply, his eyes stinging darkly at his father. His father's emotion hadn't changed, as if even a god could be frozen from grief. His father couldn't hide it anymore.

"Yes," Pollux said, shocked that his father knew that much, "Yes. I am." He saw Dionysus swallow and look at the crowd nervously. He wasn't good at this, Pollux evaluated, being considerate toward other people. Except for his mother. Dionysus loved his mother.

"You'll need to get there tonight then," He told him seriously, "She's at the blue house, boy." At first, he was confused, until he remembered something, a memory flashing through from when he was in Limbo. At first, his eyes seemed to be frozen at a distance, but then he nodded. His eyes looked at his dad, about to say one last thing, but instead walked away.

(imagine three dashes here)

Since their fight, she decided to make it a priority to sleep on the porch. Of course, not too long before being carried inside by Nico, but it was still heartbreaking that she couldn't crawl into their bed consciously. It felt so different. She knew Nico was insecure now that he realized his chance in losing her, and now that she knew that he knew she wasn't in a trance, her nerves disappeared.

But tonight she was going to do it. She was going to crawl in bed soundlessly, and wait until Nico appeared. She sat up in their bed, cold but yet comforting, and watched as the window grew darker. Above, there was a crescent moon falling over, stars scattering across the sky. It was beautiful, she thought to herself, but yet so lonely.

She closed her eyes after a moment, taking a deep breath. No, this wasn't as difficult as it seemed, but it was a big step for her. To wait with fear.

She listened to the noises around her. The trees bristling, the feet below her wandering, her breath heaving. She could do this, she thought to herself, she could do this. Pebbles cracking outside, owls howling across the lawn, an occasional car sliding past. She could do this, she thought to herself, she could do this. A whisper, a foot walk, a crack. She opened her eyes, her breath smoothing, listening over and over again.

"_Connie." _Immediately, after hearing her name, her eyelids flew open. She looked at the door, waiting for Nico to walk in with a smile on his face, but nobody appeared. She frowned. Was she imagining her name being called?

She shook her head at herself, her paranoia taking over.

But then she heard it again. Her name.

"_Connie!" _It was louder, harsher. She got up from her bed, trying to hear where the voice was coming from, because it seemed huskier than Nico's. Maybe it was just in her head, she decided, nerves awakening her. She closed her eyes, once again, drifting off.

"CONNIE FOR GODS SAKES, LOOK OUT YOUR WINDOW!" She bolted up suddenly, and she felt her feet scramble to the window. Without even thinking, her shaking fingers unlatched it.

At first, she was just staring into black hedges, but then she felt a body outline. Tall and bulky and…and…

"_Pollux_?" Her voice was far away, her mind racing in circles.

"It's me!" the figure confirmed "Hold on – Don't leave! I'll get up there myself." She was so at awe she didn't know how she could leave. She felt like somebody was screaming in her head as she watched Pollux start to climb up the side of the house. It was Pollux, wasn't it? It wasn't a dream, right? He was really in front of her?

Her mind was going nuts. So many words. So many tones. She didn't know how she was seeing this. Her fingers clawed at the windowpane as the figure rose, and she couldn't take her first breath until he was in front of her. He seated himself on the outside of the windowpane lazily. She stared at him at first as if he was a lost painting, but then the realization finally hit her. He was alive.

For a moment, her hands could only reach for him. Her fingers groping his face wildly, as her eyes evaluated him. She could feel the stubble on his cheeks, a zit on his nose, the odd curve of his lips. He was there, he was truly there. He didn't move at all, as if he was surprised to see her as well. She felt warm tears trilling down her cheeks.

"Pollux." His name never seemed so beautiful. "How are you here?" Her lips trembled slightly as she watched him. He stumbled for a moment.

"You're alive, aren't you?" her voice grew more anxious as the past scene ran through her head. "How did you survive? The army…Nico…" She shook her head at him, not sure how to show him how confused she was. Under her, she felt her legs shake.

"Connie, something really wacky happened to me," his voice seemed feeble; "I don't even know what it was. I was getting attacked and then suddenly…everything went away. And then I went into this blue…_world_. It was like…like the spirit world or something. And this woman, she talked to me. She told me all these things. Things about you and things about me…Everything. So many important things, Connie." His face suddenly looked like he had swallowed a horse pill.

"It was so odd…Like I didn't even have a body. It was just my soul," his eyes seemed to grow far away as he spoke, "But I learned so many things, Connie. And I need to show you. I need to show you these things." She was silent, still at awe that he was in even front of her.

"Come on Connie," he reached out his hand, "Let's go." Her fingers were about to meet his, when suddenly she remembered what was going on.

"No!" she exclaimed sharply, "I…I…I can't go." The overwhelming emotions that took up his face immediately left.

"….What?"

"It's just, I'm…I'm…_happy _here. I'm with Nico now, and I have this pretty house, and—and there is this huge garden out in the back! I mean, I know, it's hard to wrap your head around it, but I…I.._like _it here. I wake up, and I drink tea, and I pick apples, and I'm happy. I'm just…_happy._" At first, his purple eyes flashed at her, as if he had no idea what he was looking at. Fine, she would admit it, she felt guilty. But she couldn't just pack up and leave everything – It just wasn't right. It wasn't logical. It wasn't fair.

"Connie," he spoke slowly, "I'm not sure how Nico got you here, but I promise you that you do not want to be here. The woman has so much stuff to say to say to me – I heard so many things. We need to get going – Now!" His hand grabbed her's as if to ease her, but she yanked her hand back, making him almost fall. His face fell in a stinging expression, making a guilty ball twirl in her stomach.

"Pollux, it's just…" She tried to get the right words, but his entire presence in front of her was still so overwhelming, "I found my treasure. What I needed. I know you don't understand, but I'm happy here. I really am happy here. This is where I'm supposed to be, y'know? And since all of this is over, I think you should follow your fate too. Don't wait for me, life is too short. Make that vineyard. Go follow your dreams." She waited for the screaming. For the argueing. For the fight, but he remained abnormally calm.

"Connie…If I believed that then I would've put a bow on your head and sent you to him the minute I woke up with him standing over me under that tree." The vision caught her instantly, remembering that. So long ago, so much pain to feel again, but she shook her head.

"No, you still don't get it Pollux!" she snapped. "I don't want to! I'm tired of having a piece to play. Here, I don't have a fate! I'm just…me, and everything is good. I'm sure your…woman…had many things to say and I'm sure it means a lot, but maybe that was just supposed to be our friendship. Just to get each other over the bridge. This was my goal in the beginning, remember? To be with him. To be happy. So both I and Nico can be out of that game."

"Connie," he sighed as he put his head in his hands, "When will you get it? Nico isn't just a part of that game…He _made _that game!" It wasn't the words that hit her, it was the way he said it. The strength that built in.

"Pollux," her voice struggled to remain calm, "I'm not going to lie and say that Nico is perfect, but he's just…a guy. He made a mistake, alright? We all make mistakes, and that's why I'm here Pollux! I wouldn't be here if I thought I shouldn't!" His mouth, opened, as if to spit out something loud and harsh, but then something washed over him.

"You know, she said that," he breathed, "The woman. She said you had to choose between two fates. One is an easy, calm life with…being happy, and the other is making a change. And that I can't stop you from whatever you choose to do. Your fate is on an edge, and everything will be determined once you make that choice." At first, it seemed like he was just repeating what was inside his head, but then he looked up at her fully, his purple eyes looking at her like a lightning bolt.

"Fine, you know…I'm not going to stop you from staying here. If you're truly happy – _truly – _then I'll walk away. Because I'm sure he's normal here– I'm sure he's a sweet pumpkin, and yeah, I'm sure he loves you in his own sick way. I'm sure he's sweet and perfect and everything you'd like in your silly little daydream, but you better remember who he is, Connie. He'll always be the one that the dead worship, the one that humans are naturally made to fear, the one who kills for the sake of killing, and will always, forever, be the Ghost King." At first, there was a ringing silence. Where she was digesting his words, and he was waiting anxiously as his fingers dug into the windowpane. But then his eyes trailed behind her and suddenly they looked far away. Deep, deep away.

She saw him breathe something under his breath, his face stricken. Finally, she turned around. Her breath sucked in.

"What are _you _doing here?" Nico asked as his face flooded to a defensive glare. He took a step into the room. Connie felt herself move in front of the window, but Nico didn't notice.

"Playing the game, your Majesty, since you're the gamekeeper of us all." she heard Pollux hiss, "Please, tell the girl you stuck in here. Tell her everything." Nico's eyes narrowed.

"You were supposed to be with Lunar," his voice grew angrier, "How did you get back? Who let you out?"

"Haven't you learned yet, Nico?" Pollux's voice was cool. "Lunar is the spirit of the moon. She doesn't take sides." Nico's jaw clenched, his fingers raveling into a ball as his footsteps pressed heavily into the ground. She felt the aura grow thick suddenly.

"Look," she turned behind her toward Pollux, "Just leave, alright? This is my decision. My decision is to stay here, okay? J—Just go!" Her words were meant to appear sharp, but instead they let out crackly and fearful. She didn't want him getting hurt, she already lost him once, and it was taking everything she had to let him go willingly. Her grey eyes flickered beggingly.

"Then you have to say it, Connie," Pollux told her, "Say it. Say that you understand that nothing in him will ever change." Connie's firm face fell.

"Except he has changed!" she exclaimed loudly, "This is ridiculous! Just go! GO!" He shook his head.

"I'd advise you to go," Nico hissed, "Go. Get away from my home, or I swear I'll make you." Connie swallowed. Pollux's eyes, which seemed so warm suddenly, stayed on her.

"See Connie? The game never ends," he swore to her, "Not when he is the gamekeeper. Not with him." Finally, a firey jolt of anger flew inside of her.

"There is no game, Pollux!" She barked, "We are perfectly fine here, calm!" His eyes seemed to fall neutrally, no emotion.

"Do you really believe that?" She opened her mouth to respond, but the way he said it made her hesitate. She turned her head slightly, her eyes connecting with Nico's.

"Don't you dare look back at him like you were made for that, Connie. You were never made to be normal and you know it! All he'll do is take you out of the game. Of course you'll never be anything; you'll never have the chance because he will never let you try." He outstretched his hand, no need to say anymore. She looked at Nico behind her - Beautiful, but troubled. Was he really just holding her back? Taking her out of the checker board and putting her to the side? Was he even protecting her the way he swore at all?

"Connie, he's playing with you!" Nico told her sharply, a desperateness hanging, "I don't underestimate you Connie. This is ridiculous!" She was about to agree, but then something wandered into her mind.

"Would you stop me?" She asked out loud. His eyes frazzled.

"What?"

"Stop me. If I left, would you stop me?" her voice cleared, "Pollux wouldn't stop me, but would _you_?" At first, he just looked at her blankly.

"Connie, please, don't feed into this madness…I'm not some evil dictator! I'm Nico!" He exclaimed, "He's messing with you!" But her eyes fell firm on him. It wasn't that she really cared about what Pollux was saying, it was the mere fact of control.

"Answer the question, Nico. Would you stop me from leaving?" She waited for it. The immediate 'no'. But he stood still.

"Connie, I wouldn't let you hurt yourself," Nico worded carefully, "We're together." _Together. _That was how he said it.

"Wai—No! I meant like, that isn't supposed to be our life! I mean, Connie, come on, do you really want to be a part of that?" he asked tightly, "Wouldn't you rather be here? In a safe house?" This time, it was Pollux who bursted out. His laughs rang against the walls psychotically.

"You're calling this house – The blue house – A _safe_ house?" Pollux barked in laughter, "Man, you better start telling the truth before I do." Connie felt her strength disappear. She blinked.

"The…the blue house?" she repeated, "Whats that?" Nico's face drained. At first, he stared at her, gaping, but then he turned back to Pollux. His eyes narrowed.

"You…" He said, his teeth clenched tightly, "_You." _Nico conjured a black rock instnatly, aiming toward Pollux, but she jumped in front of him on instinct.

"NO NICO!" She screamed, "We're not in this anymore, remember?" But he wouldn't look at her. He was heaving heavily, staring at Pollux with loathing eyes.

"Nico," her eyes lowered hesitantly at the black rock pointed at them, "Put it down." He wouldn't look at her.

"He can't do that," Pollux answered for him, "He is made for war, Connie. He is the Ghost King." There was a loud grunt.

"YOU STUPID KID!" Nico's rock shot out of the air, streaming toward Pollux and Connie. She knew by the suck of air that hit Nico's lips that he had forgotten where she was, but her mind was off from his grasp. She ducked instantly, carrying Pollux down with her to the floor. Above her, there were screams. Going between Pollux and Nico she guessed, but her ears were ringing so hard she couldn't catch their words at first.

"Yeah? Well maybe you should've thought of that before you decided to kidnap her!" She heard Pollux's voice growl, "You're pathetic! Everything about you is pathetic! You could've helped her – you could've saved her! And now she is secretly dying!" Nico throw something at him, purposely missing his target she knew, because it whatever he threw hit far from them.

"Why do you always keep trying screwing everything up!" Nico screamed, "I just want to be happy! I want her to be happy!" Connie looked up from the rug, at Nico. He looked bad, she had to admit, pretty freckin' bad.

"Yeah?" Pollux asked softly.

"Yeah!"

"And you want me to leave you both alone?"

"Yeah!"

"Especially if that's what she wants?"

"Yeah!"

"Then I'll respect that."

"Thank you!"

"And I will if you explain to her why theres a video camera in this room."

**AN: Well, you guys would not even believe my week. It's been bad. Well, I'm back in the states atleast. Sorry it took so long and that it's dry, but I just needed to make sure y'all knew I was continuing. Thank you ****artemis-girl123 (Guest), ****triforceofwisdom (Guest), Artemis-girl123, SunnyA333, farawayfromnowhere, and my secret lover Please review, it really means a lot. Just one word can change everything :P**


	22. The Blue House

The Beginning

Persephone's eyes looked down into the ripples of water, her cheeks wrinkling downward the longer she watched. Out of all of the options she had given him for a home, he chose the blue house. A cursed house. She sighed under her breath, an unusual feeling of anger spreading through her. She wasn't supposed to be doing this – She should be lavishing the summer instead of worrying about her winter burdens. But she couldn't stop looking at his foolish decision. She was trying to help him, yet he had chosen the worst path of all.

_Of course he was drawn ther_e, she thought to herself bitterly, _his mother had chose that option as well when trying to protect Nico and Bianca. _

But look where she is now. Dead.

She didn't bother watching the fight any longer. She tinkled some dust into the picture, rolling her eyes as she reminded herself again why she was helping the boy. He had potential, a heavy voice reminded her deep inside, he had a gift as well. He would lift her curse one day.

But this wasn't the way. He was supposed to kill the girl. To end her life and make her stay in Elysium, so Persephone could use her blood for her own greed and never see her again. Yes, she would help her husband and give a share to him, but her needs would come first. Her blood was what she needed.

She glanced down at the thick ring in her palm. He had forgotten it, left it along away from his path. But he didn't understand. This wasn't just a ring of power; it was a ring for the sons and daughters of Hades. It was for the Ghost King.

She shook her head at him, looking down one last time at the fast changing picture.

"You cannot hide from your fate, young demigod," she said out loud as she swiped the picture with her hand, "Not when you're the Ghost King. You went into the house, and now there is only one way out."

**(imagine three dashes)**

At first, Connie didn't see it. She wasn't sure what Pollux was talking about – There wasn't a video camera in here. She had been living there for weeks, she would've noticed. But then, when she looked twice at the TV cramped in the corner of their bedroom, she saw the small black camera blend in with the television like a camellia, barely sticking out amongst the power cords. Immediately, a creepy shiver ran down her back.

Her eyes shot back at Nico, who's face seemed like sour milk.

"Security," he replied quickly, "Security. To reveal people who aren't wanted. Like _you_." Pollux shook his head, his lips curling up victoriously. A snort whisped through him, making Connie's eyes narrow.

"You're the son of Hades," Pollux pointed out, "When had a son of Hades ever put security into a camera's hands?" Nico's lips tightened together instantly.

"We're a family," Nico said to him stiffly, "I'm not using my powers to protect her anymore. I'm doing it the mundane way." A cool burst of laughter hailed through Pollux's mouth. Connie felt her body tighten. Because it was true – That didn't make sense. As much as she didn't understand why Pollux couldn't just see her happiness and walk away, he was right. It didn't seem like something Nico would do.

"You know what I think it is?" Pollux asked him as he rose from the ground, "I don't think it's for you. I think it's for her. I think you're watching her." This time, it was Connie who bursted.

"Pollux," her voice edged impatiently, "That doesn't make sense. I'm right next to him. I've been right next to him for weeks." He proceeded to shake his head, his eyes not daring to look away from Nico.

"He's waiting Connie," Pollux said, "He still doesn't trust you. He's waiting for the moment you lose yourself until he kills you. He feels guilty, so he'll wait until you do something just a little over the edge to end your life. And he'll need that video camera to prove it to himself. Or maybe, who knows, maybe somebody else is using that recording. Watching you." Her eyes shot at Nico, a burn filling her body. He looked at her uncomfortably.

"That is not true!" He argued, "Connie, look around! Would I grow so close to you if I was planning on doing something that would hurt you?" She looked at Nico, trying to reach for the sincerity in his eyes, trying to show him that she believed him when he said it wasn't true. But in all honesty, she didn't know. She still didn't understand how Nico's mind worked. There was no way to be sure with him – He was a genius. He was good at covering things. He was the same boy who planned on killing her on numerous circumstances, put her on trial in what looked like Hell, and drugged her because he thought he knew what was best. She wouldn't be surprised if he had been doing that.

At first, she was silent. She looked at Pollux, whose eyes looked filled with relief, and then back at Nico who never seemed so desperate for her to see his words. She didn't feel like home anymore, she felt betrayed.

Her eyes turned back to Pollux first.

"I can make any decision I want?" She asked him, her voice small. He nodded stiffly, a hesitation in his eyes. She looked at Nico suddenly.

"Any decision?" She was still talking to Pollux, but her eyes were on Nico.

"Yes," she heard him croak, "But Connie, you have to understand what you're giving up."

"If I pick you," she said out loud, talking to Nico, "I have a family. A home. You say I won't have to live in worry." Nico's fearful eyes seemed to fall back into a calm state.

"Exactly," Nico said, helping her up, "Exactly." He wrapped her hands around her cautiously, as if to hold her, but all she could do was look at those black pools that made up his eyes.

"But I do live in worry," she realized, "I live in worry every day." His hands seemed to fall away from her.

"When I wake up, I worry you're trying to kill me. When I drink my tea, I'm worried you're drugging me. When I smile, I worry that I'll never smile again," she told him, "I live in nothing but a lie." He stepped away from her, and she wasn't surprised. If she could, she would've stepped away from herself.

"What are you…What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…I'm saying…" But then, before she could answer, she flew backwards. A force unknown blew her from the carpet, throwing her to the wall. She heard the loud bang before she felt it, and stars filled her eyes when she looked up. Many things flew her in her vision, but not all of them could be stars. No, too many colors, too many objects, too many mixtures. There was only one thing she could relate it to. Only one thing she could put a word to sum up what she was. She saw a hurricane, it was a hurricane. In the middle of her bedroom.

Her eyes widened. Was this really happening? She questioned instantly. A hurricane…That's what she saw…A hurricane. But of flowers. And weeds. And fertilizers. _Did she even keep fertilizer? _It looked like some sort've seventies nightmare…

"NO!" She heard Nico's voice screech, "PERSEPHONE! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" But then, as if to answer, she felt her body being ripped away. She tried clawing at the ground, but her fingernails wouldn't hold. Nico lunged for her, but for some reason, though he was only a foot away from her a moment ago, he couldn't reach her.

It was then that she saw the hole where the hurricane was appearing out of. She was going towards it.

"No!" She screeched, "No!" She looked at Pollux, who seemed so far away. He wasn't clinging to anything either – He was falling. An anxiousness flew threw her – An anxiousness she hoped she would never feel again. More than anything, she didn't want him to fall. Even if she never saw him again, that hole looked deep. It looked deathly. She'd rather be the only one who fell.

"Pollux!" She screamed, and he must've thought she was screaming for her help, because when her feet started to dangle into the hole he rolled toward her, not caring anymore about holding on.

"NO!" She screamed as he grabbed onto her, "NO DON'T-" But it was too late. Before she could finish her sentence, they both fell into the colorful dimension.

**(Imagine three dashes)**

She could still hear Nico's screaming. They were thousands of miles away, maybe even millions, and yet his screaming was still ringing in her ears.

She opened her eyes slowly, feeling like a loose dream, and noticed all the colorful things that surrounded her. The sky was a mix of pink and orange that twisted beautifully, it looked like a wild field of weeds that varied to so many colors that it seemed like they had been sniffing glue all day, and Pollux was next to her. He was wearing purple.

"What are we in?" He asked his voice drowsy, "Is this like the real version of seven-year-old-girl-dream?" She looked at him, her eyelids half closed, when she noticed something.

"Pollux?"  
"Hm?"

"Theres a sticky note on your head." He scrambled immediately, his arms flailing viciously as if she had just talked about snake, but she peeled it off calmly despite his nightmare reactions. At first, as for some reason Pollux continued to flail, she stared at it. Only two words were on the sticky note.

"_Your welcome_," she read out loud, "Well, that was helpful." She looked again around her, as if to try to evaluate their surroundings more seriously. Her mind felt off at a distance – As if she had smoked, drank, and took pills she shouldn't have been taking all in one night.

"I think," she said slowly, "We are in a field." Her conclusion seemed to be more accurate as she stood up, looking past the thousands of flowers. They weren't just average colors either – There was everything from a lily green to a sunshine auburn brown. It was gorgeous and terrifying all at the same exact time.

"A field you say?" Pollux said, his voice heavy, "Can we celebrate?"

"It's hard to celebrate without any company. I don't see anybody out here." She told him. She looked past the maddening flowers, some even going up over her head. Her eyes caught something at a distance.

"Hey Pollux," she murmured faintly as she struggled to look, "Can you…Can you look above the flowers?" Pollux growled something unneeded under his breath and stood up. At first, he gave her a lanky look, but then stared up.

"I see a shack," he told her matter-of-factly, "Maybe a…house. I dunno. Something over there." She perched up on her tippy toes, eyeing something blue and withery.

"Huh," She said, as she tilted her head dozily, "Maybe it is a barn." She stared at it for one last moment, but then something hit her. Like a jolt pumping through her heart and suddenly her eyes finally seemed to open.

"Pollux," a part of her died as she spoke, "We did it again." He looked at her, his eyes looking crazed.

"Did what again?"

She sighed.

"Woke up somewhere we aren't meant to be."  
**(imagine three dashes)**

They decided to head to the shack first. Not that they truly wanted to go toward a sketchy blue dump, it was just the closest destination they could see. Any other direction would be flowers for a thousand miles.

"This place…It seems so familiar…" Pollux said beside her as he rubbed his eyes continuously.

"The place?" She guessed. He shook his head.

"The…aura. The feeling…It's like I'm back," he mumbled to himself, "_Back_." Connie didn't understand his words at all, but she couldn't question because she was still too caught up in staring at him. He looked the same, give or take a few scratch marks. But yet at the same time he looked different. Like he changed.

"I remember Nico screaming Persephone's name," Connie said out loud, "Did she do this? Did she bring us here?" Pollux shook his head – Not in disagreement, but yet confusion.

"Maybe, but why wouldn't she just make it so we made it out the front door?" Pollux asked harshly, "Now, we're here. In the middle of know where." They were getting closer to the barn, and the more they stepped closer the more it creeped Connie out. Why was a barn in the middle of an infinite field of flowers? It just didn't make sense to her. The place felt so separate from the world. Like they were on their own continent – No animals have been seen, no people have been noticed, it was just them and flowers and a barn. A blue, worn-down barn.

"It's not like we'd get that far anyways," she admitted, "We were in the middle of know where there too." He rolled his eyes.

"Well, of course you were, you were in the blue house," He told her, "That place isn't going to be just anywhere." Her eyebrows arched up.

"Yeah, and what is that?" She asked, curiosity pulling through, "The Blue House?" His mouth fidgeted, as if he wasn't sure how to reply.

"Well…" He scratched his head. "I mean, I guess it's more of a folk tale to demigods than anything, except we know the place is real. I mean, I hear occasionally of a demigod waking up here after a bad accident, but it's supposed to be cursed, and not on a map. I'm not even really sure how Nico found it. I found it because my dad made short cuts. I actually blacked out two hours through the walk and woke up in front of the house, so honestly, I have no idea how Nico got there. Or why. It isn't exactly the most comforting place to be." Her eyes sunk to the ground, confusion awakening her.

"But I've gone to town before," she told him, "It's not like it takes two hours to get there. And I mean, I don't black out. I'm always awake during the ride. So that doesn't make sense."

"Yeah," he agreed uncertainly, "Which is why I don't get it. As far as I know, it was just a regular house. I didn't get any demigod-feels or anything. It was just…there..." They were in front of the barn now. They both looked up. Connie didn't know about him, but large shivers ran down her spine when she looked at it. It looked like a thousand years old, it's old barn-blue color peeling off. She couldn't imagine how anybody could walk in without the entire thing falling apart on their head. But that was only the first thing that caught her.

"You know," she said, stepping back slightly, "It doesn't really look like a barn. It kinda looks like…" Suddenly, Pollux's eyes grew big.

"The Blue House," he mumbled feebly under his breath, "Connie…What we were just in…That was just the physical cast. This is The Blue House! _This. _Right in front of us…The Blue House wasn't a real house at all…It was just a destination in the spirit world…But what does it represent?"

**AN: Short. Short, short, short. You'll forgive me someday. I know you will. Thank you reviewers My Secret Lover, ****OlleiPattson, SunnyA333, nikkidoesntknow, triforceofwisdom, farawayfromnowhere, MadlyMagical, ****LongLastingDreams, ****artemis-girl2309**** . WOO. Actually got a decent amount of reviews Thank you, lovelies. No, it's not the end. But I am considering taking on another Nico/OC fanfic that I'll actually take seriously (because I think we can all agree this fanfic needs work). Maybe. I don't know. Yes/No? Would you give it a shot if I did?**

**REVIEWERS NEEDED. Please. Even if it means you're having a bad day and you need somebody to tear apart My first day of school is approaching and I'd love to get some last critique on my work.  
And forgive me for mistakes 3 **


	23. White Fire

**The Prophecy**

The baby was warm in her hands. Crying, afraid, but warm. Her eyes twinkled down at him as her lover stood at a distance. The baby was beautiful – Round brown eyes, wisp-thin lips, and a black curl swirling on his head already. He looked just like his sister yet nothing like her at all, she thought to herself. They would be the gorgeous ones.

"Hades," her voice rang happily, "Don't you want to-"

"No." His voice was firm, cool, but she knew it wasn't out of hatred. It was out of fear. Her lips pursed.

"But my Lord-"

"No, Maria." It was then that the maid came from the door. Maria watched as the young woman, seventeen at most, swept through the room. Refusing to acknowledge Hades, the maid bent over Maria gently. Her overly wide smile beamed down, revealing the crooked teeth that hid behind her lips.

"Oh, what a beauty, My Lady!" The maid exclaimed happily. Maria handed her the baby carefully.

"I need to take my nap, Luella," Maria said snappily, "Take Nico to his bed. Stay there with him."

"Will you need me to wake you?"

"There is no need. I have my lover here." Even she felt Luella tense up. Maybe it was because it wasn't socially acceptable to openly call somebody her 'lover'. Maybe because the maid didn't trust Hades, even with a task as small as wakening somebody. Maybe it was because the maid felt something unnatural come off Hades. Maybe, just maybe, it was all three.

"Leave Luella." Luella hesitated at first, but after seeing her master's serious eyes, she turned and left with Nico squalling in her arms.

It wasn't until the door shut closed that Hades took a step toward her. There was something blazing in his eyes when she looked up at him. Anger, determination, grudge, but mostly concern.

"When she comes, you should hold him," Maria chided lightly, "He is your son." She said this calmly, casually, but her eyes hit him harshly. He hesitated.

"It's not that I didn't want to see him, Maria. It's that I know I'm not supposed to," He corrected stiffly, "Now, please, she has him. Can we go?" Maria let out a heavy sigh. She shifted up into her bed, rearranging her pillows leisurely. His impatience next to her didn't stop her from taking her time, puckering her lips unhappily when she saw the sweat mark stain her favorite pillow.

"Maria." Hades hissed warningly. Her eyes flickered at him. She was tired, severely tired, but she couldn't delay this any longer.

"Lord, I know I told you I would come with you." She heard the train of Greek curse words fly from him already, as he started to pace in one of his circles again, "But I have a daughter and a new baby. I cannot leave. " Hades glowered over her.

"They'll be fine Maria," Hades growled, "Your…_maid…" _He said the word in distaste, "Has both of them, does she not?"

"Yes, but she is a maid. I will have to come to them sometime. I am their mother, remember?" She asked him, her eyes wandering her bedspread. His face grew very purple suddenly.

"Yes," he struggled to keep his anger down as he spoke, "But you told me. You told me you would come with me." She wiped the speckles from the bedspread that she saw, flicking them to the ground.

"And where to, Hades?" Maria asked him, her patience wearying finally, "To your kingdom? With your wife? I am not meant to be there." At first, he started sputtering.

"Maria, you told me you would! You told me!" he bellowed, "You _promised._" She looked up from her bedspread. His thick, beefy hands were bawled together, with sweat pouring down his face. She took a deep breath through her nostrils, letting the breath out in a silkily manner.

"Unless you were just using me," Hades immediately assumed. He searched her eyes for an answer, but she was an open book. He already knew the answer.

"You used me!" He spat, "You did, didn't you? You wanted me to be here. That's all. You didn't want to come with me."

"I told you before, Lord," she reminded him, "That whatever you need me for – Whatever you saw on me – Is something you can't bring back with you. You said I was special, but that only means so much." Finally, Hades got it. Hades finally understood.

"And you thought…You thought I didn't love you?" He unfolded suddenly, "You thought I was attracted to you because you were one that was never meant to be alive? I do love you, Maria. I really, really do. I want you to come so I can…be with you. There is no other way." She didn't answer, but yet turned away so that he could not see the tears build in her eyes. She blinked a few times to wash them away, but there were no reason hiding them.

"Lord, you don't mean that-"

"No, I do mean that!" He snapped at her. She looked at him, finally seeing how distraught he looked. His suit, which was his favorite, looked rough and wrinkled. His skin was more oily than usual. His eyes finally looked as if he had lived a thousand years.

"I told you Maria…That other woman – Marie." He winced as he said it. "I didn't love her. I was…intrigued by her. And I decided to give her a child in gift. If anything, I saw you in her, and after you refused me…I needed somebody to go to. But it doesn't matter! She ruined her own life – Picked a fate worse than death!" Maria tried to swallow, but it was hard then. She was strong, she was unique, she didn't need a man, but it still wasn't something she wanted to hear.

"That's why I didn't offer you anything after you gave birth, my love," His voice was quiet, "I didn't want to reward you. I want to be with you." She closed her eyes, leaning back into the pillows.

"Leave then, Hades. Leave, and move on. I cannot leave my children."

(imagine three dashes)

"WOAH!" Pollux had taken a step toward the house. "You're—You're not _actually _going in there, are you?" He turned to look at her blankly.

"Well, of course I am," He told her. Her mouth could only drop. Her day had been quite a rollercoaster – First, her best friend offers to kidnap her, her bedroom turned into a portal, and now Pollux expected her to go into a shack that clearly was just waiting to collapse on somebody's head.

But, without her permission, he stepped inside the Blue House, clearly intrigued. She realized just as his left foot went in that being left outside alone was just as creepy as going in.

"Wait!" She yelped as she ran next to him. He didn't look at her as she latched on, but continued to walk in.

It was like a haunted mansion. Everything was in cherry brook wood – The glossy floors, the grand staircase, the walls. Spiderwebs bigger than her body filled the corners, along with holes that were randomly placed in the middle of the floor and staggering walls that creaked. Everything inside seemed like to have a blue halo, clearly confirming their guess of it being a Spirit World destination. She was hoping it would be a calming place, but it only gave her shivers. She was waiting for a ghost to pop out any moment and turn her into the devil.

"What do you think it is?" She whispered. He opened the nearest door, which was very thin and nearly off its hinges, and when he stepped in he finally answered.

"Blue House. Blue – Symbolizing spiritual. So obviously it has to do with our soul because our soul is the closest thing to spirituality that has to do with being alive. House, home, life – That's our comfort zone, so that has to be our story. Which explains this." He moved out the way.

The room was lit in candles. Thousands of them. On the floor, hung on the wall, piling on tables and small bed that occupied the place. But it wasn't that what freaked her out. It was everything else. Old toys sprawled on the ground, followed by magazines and letters. A purple tint, despite the white-fire-lit candles, haloed the room. And then she saw the pictures. Most of them filled with two boys – First just as babies, growing older and older. None of pictures looked intentional though. The boys were either talking to each other, looking at something far away from the camera, doing something that didn't seem important. It never looked posed or captured on purpose. As the boys grew older though, one started to be left out. The pictures of the two boys started to turn into one boy.

She looked at Pollux. Because looking at him was the only way she could confirm was she saw.

Because the boy she was seeing on the wall, was him.

She watched as a tear trilled down his cheek.

"This is your…memories," She said out loud. It was crazy – Totally crazy – But she learned that she couldn't question what was in front of her. It was his entire life, and as she analyzed the pictures more, she realized some of the memories weren't so good. There was one of him and his brother fighting in their room, one where one of the boys was crying in the woods, one picture of one of the boys putting some sort've cloth in flames.

But then some of the pictures were older than what Pollux currently was. Except those pictures looked fuzzy and she couldn't exactly look at one clearly without having to turn away.

"It's my life," he whispered feebly, "This is my room." A timid shiver ran through her. Somehow, Pollux's life didn't scare her. She knew he'd be alright. That in the end, no matter what, he'd be happy. But what else was in this house?

She watched as he touched some of the artifacts carefully that layed across; an old pocket watch, a ripped teddy bear, a picture. He picked up the picture, several tears falling down his cheeks now.

"Silena," He whispered. _Silena. _He said it like the name was gold. She didn't step up to comfort him, but yet stood at the doorway. Even though she was far, she could tell immediately that the girl was beautiful. She could barely see the picture, but she knew she had to be gorgeous to make Pollux look at her with such large eyes.

He took the picture, folded it in half, and put it in his jeans. Her jaw clenched.

"Pollux, do you think you are allowed-"

"Come on, let's go." She could've questioned him, but he looked so distraught that she couldn't help but think right then wasn't the time. She let him out first, and then followed behind him. There was one other door that was in view, but Pollux looked at it and shook his head. He then turned on his heel.

"Wait, aren't you-"

"No, because if you look, that room is connected to mine."

"So?"

"So, it has to be my brothers. This floor…This is my life. My brother is connected to my life. So that is his door." Connie gave him an awkward look. Somehow, he knew a lot about this and she knew that was why she shouldn't argue. She had no idea where she was.

"Then the staircase?" She suggested grimly. He nodded.

He insisted to lead the way first, and she decided to let him. She followed on his heels silently as the stairs rocked to themselves. Her breath heightened as she carried herself, trying her best not to weigh her entire body on each step. But Pollux was calm. He walked across the stairs like it was any regular staircase, except for the time he looked around cautiously.

He turned to the hallway to their right.

"Wait, Pollux," her voice trailed, "Do we have to-?" He stopped at a gold door. It was dull, dented, but gold. She blinked as he stood there, evaluating it.

He mumbled something under his breath, and then opened it.

At first, he stood there. She could feel a new aura burst out – Something worth seeing. He stepped in stiffly.

"Oh my gods…" He whispered as he moved out of the doorway, and into the room. Immediately, she followed in.

The room was near empty, and only a few huge candles decorated the room. There was no bed, no furniture, just a plain room, with a few pictures. Except, this time, the pictures seemed to be more like blurry oil paintings, and this time she knew it was _her _room.

There was only one portrait, and that's how she knew it was her's.

It was of a woman wearing grey, but she could tell by the odd-dark hair that it was her. Her gown bellowed into the wind, as she stood at the rocky cliffs. She was looking down at something, but there was no use, because there were flames the sizes of skyscrapers blazing under her. She seemed calm, she seemed stiff, she seemed so unlike Connie. But somehow, she knew it was her.

It seemed like a much stronger picture then what Nico had described in his journal.

"Connie…" Pollux whispered grimly, "Look…" Her eyes followed his gaze to the a scrap on the ground. She was the first to walk to it, and pick it up.

"It's…It's a scribe," She told him as she unraveled it. It was no bigger than a pinkie, but it felt as heavy as a truck.

"_Three Thousand Years Waited_

_ She wakes again in depth_

_ Three Lives She Tried_

_ Only one she kept _

_ Young and Small_

_ It's Her Choice to Be_

_ If She Cannot Move Heaven_

_ Hell it Shall Be" _

There was an eerie silence.

"Come on," Pollux said finally, "Let's…Let's go." But she couldn't stop staring at the scribe that rested between her fingers. She dropped it to the ground, letting her hands be filled with Pollux's. She nodded at him and followed him out silently.

But as she made it to the hall, she knew she wasn't ready to leave. Pollux's eyes were big, frightened, but she needed more. She felt like there was more for her.

He turned toward the staircase, but then she stopped him.

"No," she said as he turned around to face her, "There's one more door." He turned around and looked at it. It was obvious he didn't forget.

"Connie, are you su-"

_ "_We're already here," She pointed out. At first, he was silent, but then he nodded.

"Right," He said. He took her hand as they walked to the last door – It looked nailed together with many pieces of wood. It was more of an opening, rather than a door.

This time, it was Connie's turn to be first. She rested her hand on the harsh wood, and pushed slowly.

When the light hit her, and she looked around, all she could whisper was, "Maria di Angelo."

**(imagine three dashes)**

His throat was thick when he walked back into his father's home. His feet draped the floor as he walked, his overly-large robe flowing behind him. The place seemed empty, except for a few skeletons, but he knew he had to be here somewhere.

"Father?" he called, as he turned into the next room. He frowned when he heard no reply. He walked out quietly, turning to the next hall.

"Father?" He called again as he opened another door, but louder.

"I'm right here, Nico." The voice called grimly. Nico swallowed as he turned the next hall, following the voice. He walked into the only room that was open, and looked at his father. His father was looking down at a book.

"I looked everywhere for you," Nico told him, "I've never been in here. What is it?" At first, it seemed like a normal dark room, but beneath the darkness he started to see the odd objects that floated around them. He couldn't help but notice that his father was holding a book of sort.

"Nothing," His father snapped, "Why are you looking for me?" Nico felt his mouth dry up.

"Connie. I think…I think she's in trouble. I believe if you just ended her life-"

"No, Nico!" his father snapped shortly. Nico felt his heel start to bounce back, but then his fingers bawled up in anger. He could've turned away, but he felt himself glowering at his father stared back down at his book though, as if the cover itself was intriguing. Nico felt the anger push through his veins, the feeling of Connie's pain echoeing in his head as he could only imagine what mess she was in.

"Why won't you just do it?!" He finally bursted. His father looked up.

"_Excuse me?"_

"Why won't you just kill her?" Nico hissed coolly, "You kill everybody else!" Nico could feel his father's glare.

"Why don't you run along and be useless somewhere else?" His fathered growled, but Nico could only feel himself grow closer.

"What? Having moral issues now?" Nico continued, his careless words turning into an addiction. His father put down the book.

"Go away."

"NO! Not until you tell me why you won't kill her!" Nico spat angrily. Truthfully, he didn't know where the nerve was coming from, but he could feel his dad's anger and yet he didn't care.

"Ignorant is what you are!" His dad spat, "If you spent two minutes looking at anything…" Nico eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

"Nothing!" His father snapped, "Go! Before I blast you!"

"_What are you talking about?"_

"I told you to go Nico!"

"I'm not leaving until you tell me!"

"You insolent little-"

"You know what?" Nico hissed "I think you know why and it's because you're a coward-"

"I AM NOT A COWARD!"

"PROVE IT THEN!" Nico screamed it, "PROVE IT-"

"I DON'T HAVE TO PROVE ANYTHING TO A CHILD!" Hades bellowed, "GET OUT! _GET OUT!" _ Huffing tightly, Nico turned on his heel, but he still felt himself stop before he continued out of the room.

"…You're such a coward!" Nico breathed, and started to walk, "You're such a-"

"That insolent girl is a reincarnation of Maria, that's why!"

AN: Sorry took so long. PLEASE REVIEW. School starts on Monday for me, and I'd love some reviews. I kinda lost some of my emails so I can't say how many people reviewed D: Sorry it took so long as well. PLEASE REVIEW!


	24. Maria di Angelo

"She's a _what?"_ Nico didn't feel like he heard him right.

"Maria di Angelo," Hades said more slowly, "Is your friend's-" Hades winced, "First life." At first, Nico didn't believe him. He knew how haughty his father could be. How dreadfully evil. When he first met his father he hoped to find love and care, but every time he saw him again his father just tried to hurt him more and more. Anyways, how dumb did Hades think he was? There was no way Connie could be his mother – he would have noticed.

But then when Hades refused to look at him, refused to share the glowing anger toward him, Nico knew that he wasn't just saying this to make him go.

"Maria was beautiful. The most beautiful woman I had ever met – even more beautiful then Persephone, I dare say. I asked her to leave with me several times, even before she was pregnant with you, but she always said no in sake of her desire to, ah, as she used to say, _live,_" he continued bitterly, and Nico couldn't help but wonder if this was the first time Hades ever talked about her deeply to somebody else, "And after she died I asked her again, begged her, to be with me in the Underworld, instead of going to Elysium. She told me she wouldn't because you guys were still on the earth, and as long as you and Bianca were on the living side, she could not rest in peace. So we made a deal – I would let her reincarnate, as long as she stayed with me afterword." Nico didn't talk when Hades paused. He had never heard this much of his mother, and he wasn't going to mess that up just yet.

"I mourned for her bitterly. But I followed her second life. Her name was Daisy, and she lived in a small town in Indiana. She got married to some loser when she was nineteen, had a couple kids, was forced to be the classical mother who was never able to go into the world and be free, and died old still in misery. By the time of her third life though, I let go of her. Persephone found out about Maria during her transition of lives – She already knew of her, of course, but she didn't know of my obsession. She didn't know I was watching her. So I let go of Maria momentarily so that Persephone could get off my back. I didn't know what she had turned into, what would happen…" There was sadness in his father's voice as he trailed to a silence. Nico could only blink at him.

"Okay," he croaked, "But that doesn't mean that it is _Connie_ who is my mother." His father laughed sickly under his breath, shaking his head.

"Yes, it does," he murmured. His fingers stuck into one of his screaming pockets, and he pulled out two silk gloves.

"You were right, child," Hades confessed in a raspy voice, "There is such thing as Andromeda. See, that is what brought me to Maria di Angelo. I had to see for myself that Andromeda had finally found a host. I didn't know I'd fall in love with her."_But…But,_ Nico thought to himself, _Andromeda's first life is in Connie. Not Maria. Unless Andromeda was originally in Maria's soul, but still remained in her through her life transitions._ Nico's mouth dropped, his hand clenching the wall for support. Slowly, he felt himself sink.

"How long have you known that Andromeda existed in Connie?" Nico heard himself growl. Whether or not Hades heard the despise in Nico's tongue, he didn't show.

"The moment she threw one of these gloves at me," Hades said, his eyes delving into the gloves again, "I knew it was her when she threw these gloves at me. See, these gloves were a gift from me to Maria. Only Maria could wear them." Nico felt like he was going to throw up.

"No, see, father, Connie-"

"Maria," the Lord of the dead corrected coolly, "Her name is Maria." Nico glared.

"I can't. Connie is one of my friends. She can't be my mother. I…"

"Sometimes things happen, my son." Nico heard something different in Hades' voice. Affection toward him? Sympathy?

"Don't worry Nico, you do not love as you believe. You just feel the connection toward her," his father told him, "That's how you interpret it. She is your mother. People have gone through this before, my son – Meeting dead-one that they once connected to, and falling in love with their new form. It is merely an excuse for extreme affection. And now that you know this – that you truly know this – you need to find her again."

"Find her again?"

"Yes! Find her again, and bring her to my kingdom. It's about time she got welcomed back." Nico couldn't look at him anymore. With nausea burrowing in his stomach, he walked away. As he turned the corner, heading back to wherever Connie may be, he couldn't help but think to himself: But I do love her romantically.

(imagine three dashes here)

Pictures of Maria di Angelo decorated the walls like it was wallpaper. There was a four-poster bed, with a silk drape canopy. Her mouth open, she walked around it, touching the silk draped softly, before approaching a beautiful dresser. The dresser was old fashioned – a 40's style set up with a large oval mirror balancing against it. Everything seemed ancient, but she always loved it. She felt familiar with the things around her, familiar with all of it.

And then another part of her felt sick. The realization that this was Maria di Angelo's room the second she looked at it gave shivers down her spine. Why was she in Maria di Angelo's room? Behind the white drapes she could see different artifacts on the bedspread – brushes, jewelry, notebooks. A part of her yearned for it, craved to hold the artifacts as if it were her own, but she couldn't. The horror of walking into Nico di Angelo's dead mother's room threw her off.

"This is Nico's mom's room," she let out numbly, "Why is her room in our spirit world, Pollux?" She swerved toward him. Pollux's eyes were wide as he approached a different wall, filled with pictures of Nico and Bianca when they were tiny.

"I…I don't really know," he confessed, "Maybe there are more rooms here. Maybe Nico has a room here. Maybe all of our fates are intertwined together, which is why we all share rooms in this house." But Connie wasn't sure.

"There are more rooms here," Pollux said, clearing his throat, "Let's-"

"Wait." Connie's eyes caught something in the far corner of the room. At first she thought it was just a bowl on an old table, but then she noticed it was a basin with liquid in it.

"Is that…Is that thing glowing?" Pollux blurted, horror shaking in his voice. It was glowing, she realized. How they had not seen it yet, she didn't know. The light flickered across the wall that it leaned on brightly, a lightning blue aura spewing off.

Slowly, Connie stepped toward it.

"Woah!" Pollux objected. "Connie-" But she was already looking over into the liquid. In the water she saw some sort've mirage-like picture. She couldn't decipher what it was, or who was in it, but she saw figures. As if it was like a memory.

"What is that?" Pollux exclaimed, as he stood next to her. She gaped.

"There is only one way to find out." With every nerve going against her, she drove her hand in it.

"NO! Connie don't!" Pollux's hand gripped her right on time because once her fingers touched the silky chilled water, her body was ripped off the carpet and falling into the water, like a funnel.

"CONNIE!" Pollux screamed, as their bodies hooked onto each other. It looked as if they were falling from the sky – tiny little dots walked beneath them, as the scenery grew closer and closer. Pollux's voice screamed behind her, as the cement grew closer, and for a split second worry seemed to finally plush into her. Were they going to smash into the ground? Were they going to die?

"NO!" She screamed, but suddenly, just as she truly believed she would hit the ground head on, their bodies straightened up and they landed feet-first onto the cement. Once the ground met their feet, they both rocked back onto their heels, but quickly regained balance.

"What the gods was that Connie? What were you thinking?" As Pollux's voice roared at her she digested her surroundings. It didn't look like America – yet, at the same time, she felt like it was. Buildings around her hung signs saying stuff like "Join the American Army!", and "Coca-Cola only 99 cents!" It was almost like everything was newer. The streets looked cleaner, the air wasn't as polluted. And then, all at once, she realized the people around her didn't look normal. They were wearing clothes that she would read in a history book or see in old movies. It was like…they were in a different era.

She turned around sharply, her eyes wide. She walked up to the closest person and asked roughly, "Excuse me?" But the person didn't turn. He didn't even acknowledge her. Her breath paced. "Excuse me?" She asked someone else.

"Connie, what are you doing?" Pollux's voice mellowed, curiosity spilling out. Nobody would look at her. Actually, nobody paid attention to either of them. It was like they didn't see them. As if they weren't anywhere at all.

"Pollux," she took a shakey breath, "Where are we?" He let out a sick laugh.

"I don't know, you probably just made us come from a portal!" he barked in response. But then he pointed to a sign taped to a door of a coffee shop. _Wanna see the President's residence? Only fifteen minutes walk away!_

"Well, apparently Washington D.C.," he said seriously, "Wow. How did we get all the way from D.C.?" She shook her head again, madly.

"No, no, we aren't just in D.C.," Connie said, "We are in an entire different era. We must be in…the forties." She looked at Pollux, waiting for it to sink in. He looked at her with an empty stare, unsure whether to argue with her.

"Nobody will answer us Pollux, they just keep walking. And look at the clothing!" she continued. "It's absurd! And the cars, and the signs! It's the beginning of War World II. We have to be in the 1940's!" Pollux's eyes glanced around, as if seeing the place for the first time.

"Well, oh sh-" Connie's eyes caught something from through the coffeeshop window. On the other side of the window, an elegant woman sat. Her hair was pulled up tight, her body straight and elegant, she was beautiful. She faced a larger man, who Connie could have recognized from a million miles away.

"That's Hades!" she exclaimed, and then added in a confused tone, "And I think that's Maria di Angelo!" Pollux scuffed.

"Come on Connie, that can't be…" But then Pollux looked at them again. His eyes enlarged, shaking his head.

"My life will never be normal again, will it?" He murmured hopelessly. Connie grabbed his hand.

"Come on! We must see them!"

"But, Connie-" It was too late. Connie bolted into the coffee shop, sliding through the door easily as other people in front of them went through. As she stepped inside, people regarded them completely. Pollux had to duck constantly to get around the people.

"This is nuts," Pollux whispered to her, "Connie, this is nuts!" Connie's eyes sunk into Maria di Angelo and Hades. Even the Lord of the Dead didn't notice her. Quickly, Connie dragged Pollux to the table nearest them, where they could hear them perfectly.

"…Yes, Hades?" Maria di Angelo asked. Her voice reminded Connie of silk – soft, Italian, yet strong. And though Maria di Angelo died years ago, her voice sounded familiar. But where?

"Ah, you remember me then?" Hades had a dark chortle in his tone that gave Connie chills down her spine. A part of her hoped that Hades couldn't see them, and a fear filled on her that maybe he did. Maybe he saw them and he was going to blast them any second for interfering in whatever dimension they were in. But yet, he gave no hint that he saw them yet.

"Of course I do," A flirtatious voice rang in Maria's voice, "How could I not?" Hades' dark smile faltered. Maria must've noticed as well because she laughed.

"I do not fear you Hades," she confessed, puckering her red lips into a smile, "Even if you are the Lord of the Dead." Connie could tell he didn't know what to say. Was this the first time that somebody had not feared him? He hesitated.

"So why ask me on a date, Hades?" The word _date _made Hades turn a deep red and again he was silenced. Maria laughed louder. This has probably been the first time that Hades has ever been speechless twice, Connie thought to herself.

"Oh, do not think that I didn't see. It is a Saturday night. Nobody meets on a Saturday without the intention to dance. Not even if it is a god." Even Connie felt embarrassed for him. This woman was practically interrogating him for asking her to dinner.

"You know it's not like that," Hades finally said, trying to layer his voice with levels of coldness but failing, "You are just intriguing is all."

"Intriguing?" She asked, flashing her big, brown eyes. "Is that all I am to you?" The Lord of the Dead goggled.

"No – I mean yes – I mean…" He closed his eyes with a sigh. "Maria di Angelo, you stun me." She smiled as she brought her cup to her lips.

"Many people say that," she responded.

"I do not mean to stalk you," he confessed easily, "Our last conversation has left me with an awakening. I can't stop thinking about you. Every moment, every day." He closed his eyes, as if he was at lack of sleep.

"And this isn't because of my condition?" She asked casually. Connie's eyebrows furrowed. She glanced at Pollux cautiously. _What condition?_

"No. No, no, no," Hades flustered, wavering his hands. Maria's smile widened.

"Then what makes me distract you?" She teased. He blushed again.

"Everything about you. Your personality, your style, your _beauty_…" He brought his hand across the table, stroking her face softly.

"I have fallen in love with you, Maria di Angelo," He said her name like it was pure diamonds, "You are my treasure." Despite Maria's strong, confident charisma, Connie could see Maria's eyes melt like his.

"So now what?" She asked casually. "The legends are true, correct? You have a wife?" She didn't say it with any sadness, but yet as if a reminder. Hades' hand fell to the table, his sad eyes falling in my direction, but not on me.

"Yes, that is why I came to see you again. I think I left our last conversation on a very confusing manner, my dear," he croaked. Her eyebrows perked up, and she straightened.

"Well, don't ponder," she chided, "Do what you want to do." His eyes flashed up at her.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She opened up a small rectangular pocket-book, and flicked out a long expensive-looking cigarette. She put it between her bright-red-lipsticked lips, lit it, and blew out a long puff of smoke. Finally, she spoke.

"If you want to see me, see me. If you want to love me, love me," she snapped, "But don't me a piece of your marriage, Hades. I want to be treated like a lady. Not a whore." Hades blinked.

"I cannot leave her, if that's what you mean," he huffed, "She is a wife in trickery. I was only attracted to her because-"

"I do not care," She snipped. "I do not intend to mess up your marriage, my Lord, you misunderstand me. I just want to agree that if you pursue me, I do not want to hear about it. I will be treated as if I am your beauty." It sounded disgusting at first, but Connie understood it. The marriage of Hades and Persephone was beautiful and all, but all Maria di Angelo wanted was to love. She didn't care for marriage or Hades' baggage. She just wanted to enjoy life without having to deal with the bad things. She didn't want her happiness to be depended on someone else's obliviousness.

"I understand," Hades said with a nod, "And I promise that I will always protect you, no matter your condition."

Maria's mouth opened, but then everything went fuzzy. Connie's surroundings started to shimmer and the things around them blurred. She could no longer hear Maria, or anybody else for that matter. Quickly, as everything started to spin, she grabbed onto Pollux. The world spun backwards.

"HOLD ONTO ME!" Connie screamed, as the world started to fade to black.

(insert three dashes here)

Nico di Angelo strode snow white street. If there were people around him, they'd probably think he was ill – he looked like he'd just come off a really bad roller coaster. He was staggering with every step, as if every movement caused him pain. _Connie? _It couldn't be possible. His mother was a wonderful woman and all, but Connie was just a girl. A wonderful, beautiful, extraordinary girl, but it wasn't his mother. Connie was never a girl to have an affair with a god, or have two kids with a man who only left her, or be a woman who couldn't accept death. His father was delusional – so desperate to see Maria, that he would see her in anything that made sense.

But yet, at the same time, his father finally admitted to believing in Andromeda. Finally confessed, and had a good reason for confessing. In a way, it did make sense. But Nico loving Connie? That was not a result of them having a connection. If there was one thing he knew, it was that he really loved her.

He stopped at an old cemetery. Usually he would see some bouquet of flowers or ragged stuffed animal when he walked into a cemetery, but this cemetery was so old and deserted that there was no gifts that had given for the dead. That's sad, he thought to himself, because even though mortals could not see the dead, the dead still yearn to be loved from the people who are on earth. The only gifts they get from the living is ones laid on top of their graves. Sighing to himself, he pulled out a baggie of crushed seasonings and flicked it into the air.

"In the name of the dead, show me Maria di Angelo!" He knew this wasn't the true ritual. For a real ritual he would have to give offerings, but he didn't have any. But if he had a mother, a mother who loved him, she would show without the need of offerings.

There wasn't a whistle in the air. He shifted around the cemetery, looking at all views. Not even a shadow peaked. His fingers tightened.

"MARIA DI ANGELO! SHOW YOURSELF!" He roared. His voice shook as his eyes raced around anxiously, hoping to see something. Anything.

"MARIA DI ANGELO! I DEMAND YOUR PRESCENSE!" But nothing came. A sob filled his chest and he fell to his knees. The coolness seeped into his sweatpants, but he didn't care. Tears streamed down his face and he didn't bother to cover his cries. Because his life sucked. Because he could never be loved. Because for the first time in his life he found somebody, and yet she wasn't even his.

I got bored. I'm back. I hope somebody reads this. If you do read this, send me a review. So I can at least know somebody read this. Please.


	25. Coffee Shops

As the beautiful woman glided through the fancy restaurant, all the men (many who were married) whipped their heads to see her, unable to not stare. They gaped, staring at her extraordinary beauty, unsure on how to stop watching. But she was so used to the constant eyes being pulled toward her, she made no eye contact. She had no interest in the beautiful men, or the rich men, and even the powerful men. Only one caught her eye.

She met him at the table for two. He didn't gape when he saw her, but his eyes glinted. She gave him a small smile as she scooted herself in her chair.

"Hello Hades," She said, puckering her red lips. He took a deep breath, making his face flush.

"Maria," he whispered wistfully. She picked up the cup of tea that Hades had already ordered for her and brought it to her lips. He watched her intensely as she took a long sip then brought it down on the table gently.

"You look troubled," she realized, "What is it, _il mio amore_?" His eyes twinkled, lightening up a bit. It was only their fourth or fifth date, but they were already as close as ever. He took her hand from across the table.

"My…brothers," he phrased carefully, glancing around anxiously, "Are fighting. And I must admit I am worried for you, my dove." She blinked.

` "Well tell your brothers to stop fighting," she said sharply, "You are family. It'll pass."

"No, it's bigger than family, Maria," he sneered, "I want to keep you safe. D.C. isn't safe right now." She rolled her eyes.

"Take me wherever, Hades," she murmured, "But you will only say this over and over again, as you always do when you worry." She peaked a small smile at him, but he didn't smile back. Instead, his black eyes hardened.

"This is affects everything, Maria. This will affect the world if it escalates," he sighed, "Everybody is worried."

"Than it is politics," she decided, "And politics bore me. Do not insist for me to worry as stupid as a group of _idioti _circle around a table talking of…whatever that _merda _is." Hades' hand groped hers tighter, eyeing the ceiling as if Zeus would actually strike her down at that exact moment.

"Do not worry, Hades," she said to him soothingly, "You are with me. And nobody will strike me down." Still, he looked at her as if she was a fragile doll.

"But my beloved…" his voice trailed.

"You are _famiglia_, and _famiglia _always sticks together," she promised.

**-three dashes-**

She brought the coffee to her lips as she, for the thousandth time, looked around. Normal modern people buzzed around them excitingly, putting them back into a world where everything ran a thousand miles per hour. Once she and Pollux fell out of the weird dimension, they found themselves back to where both of their hearts rested: a coffee shop in New York City. Why had they been transported back to the real world instead of the spiritual house? Pollux said a lot of magic was like that – "magic" – and once the magic was done, you were put back wherever your heart wanted you to go. Truthfully, she didn't know that she wanted to be back in New York City, but she didn't question it too hard. To be perfectly honest, she was just glad to be back.

"It's like I am in a dream," she said out loud, forcing the burning coffee into her mouth, "I'm still dizzy. Like I'm not supposed to be here." Pollux nodded.

"Wacky," he agreed, "But Maria di Angelo? A memory of her?" They had already talked about it for a good thirty minutes, but the topic continued to rise – what was with that? But she shook her head at him, shrugging it off.

"Who knows," she muttered, "I'd rather not think about it though. There's no point dwelling on it. Anyways, we have bigger issues. What's next for us, Pollux?" They had never seemed so, well, _still. _Since she met him, they both have been racing around doing something, but now that Nico was gone, and they really didn't have any goals, neither of them knew what was next for them. She wished she knew what to do, but to be perfectly honest, her heart was torn. She wasn't exactly sure if she ever wanted to see Nico again. He claimed to be in love with her, but during this adventure she had started to forget why she was in love with him at all. She was mad that he drugged her. She was mad that he, of all people, would insist on murdering somebody who was perfectly innocent. But at the same time, she craved his presence. She loved somebody who saw the world at a different angle, who had his own mind and didn't take what somebody else thought as his only answer. There was still something about Nico di Angelo that she hadn't unwrapped. Something about him still made her want him.

Pollux mumbled with a shrug, "I guess we go home. That was your original goal, wasn't it? Find a home?" A painful burn hit her stomach. Home? But she already left. She couldn't go back. _What?_ Was she supposed to go to school, explain everything to Hailey, deal with her stupid parents, and go back to living a normal life when she knows that everything she thought she knew was a complete lie?

"I mean, of course, you'd totally have to come back with me. You know, to Camp Half-Blood." Her eyes shot up from her coffee cup, toward Pollux. He was smiling at her lazily.

"But I am a mortal," she reminded him. He rolled his eyes.

"My dad runs the camp," he insisted, "Trust me, I can get you in." There were a thousand objections on her tongue, but the whole idea was so extraordinary that she didn't want to argue. For the first time they actually had a decent, well thought-out plan.

"How did you find me, anyways? Back at Nico's?" She was still confused about what happened. How in the world did they get out of the Underworld? How was she transported back to the Blue House and what happened to Pollux while she was gone?

"Well, I'm guessing Nico called upon one of his spirits," he grumbled, "And sent us to Summerland – you know, the place between the living and the dead. Nico must've left me there and taken you elsewhere. In the mean time, the spirits made me well there. I even made a friend - remember, that woman who helped us get out of the cellar? She found my soul and convinced me to go back. She told me all these things about me that I didn't…any who, after my strength came back up, I decided I was going to find you." Warmth filled her cheeks. He could've gone home, went to a safe place, and instead he found her? He went back for her? And yet she deserted him so easily.

"I'm sorry that I-"

"Doesn't matter," Pollux cut off, "Look, we better go. We still need somewhere to sleep tonight. What did that coffee cost? Like two dollars? Ah, alri-"

"Pollux." The name made her jump. He looked up, as if expecting the name to come out of her, but she shook her head, putting her hands in the air. His eyebrows furrowed. She looked around them cautiously. Was Jarr here? Did Nico follow them? But no, nobody was around them.

"Did you…?" He asked in a whisper. He whipped his head back and forth, but then, just as sharp and loud, somebody said, "_Pollux_!" Pollux gripped his seat, staring around, until his eyes settled on her coffee cup. Slowly, she looked down.

There was a picture in her coffee cup. Like, _an actual picture_. Two boys stared back at her, as if they weren't surprised to see her. As if looking at somebody through a puddle of coffee was in any way normal. A part of her questioned her sanity, another part of her questioned why in the world would she question her sanity after everything she's seen.

"Pollux," She croaked, slowly backing away from her coffee cup, "What is that?" But Pollux merely sighed.

"Hey guys." Well then, she thought to herself, now Pollux was talking into the coffee cup. She put her hand to her face. Her life couldn't be normal for more than two minutes, could it?

"Ouch, that is one girl," one of the boys said, smiling at her, "How you doin?" She simply gaped at them.

"What do you need, Stolls?" An angry tone filled Pollux's words as he leaned closer over the cup. One of the boys' smiles flattened to a serious expression, but the other one continued smiling back at her lazily.

"Uh, well, we gotta dilemma. You thinking of coming back right? With the girl?" The serious one asked. Pollux nodded slowly.

"That's my plan," he confessed, though a confusing glint flashed in his eyes, "Why?" The other boy suddenly frowned, with a glimmer of sadness filling his eyes, as if there was a serious issue behind it all. Connie's fingers fidgeted across the table.

"Don't," one of them said sternly, "You can't. It's not a good time." Pollux glared at them.

"And why is that?" Both the boys looked at each other slowly, as if having a silent conversation through each other eyes.

And then, as if they were one person, they answered, "Percy Jackson is gone."

(**insert three dashes**)

"So…let me get this straight: Some hero named Percy switched lives with some dude named Jason and about two weeks ago they met at the Roman Camp, accidentally started a war, and you guys are now getting the message that he fell into Tartarus with his girlfriend and died?"

"Not dead," Pollux corrected sharply, as if that was the only thing that seemed odd about her story, "Missing." She trotted behind him on the dirty side walk, struggling to keep up with him as he turned across dark ends and dirty allies.

"But Pollux," she said, nearly stumbling on an abandoned trash can, "Then what do we do?" Pollux jaw tightened.

"More like what is everybody else is doing," he mumbled, a shadow of worry flickering in his eyes, "Look, I know you don't get it, but Percy was the heroes of heroes. When something goes wrong with him…well, the whole camp sort've goes to Hell. Everybody is paranoid, they aren't letting anybody in. For now, the satyrs – the creatures who typically bring half-bloods to safety – are just trying to get kids in stable situations before they bring them to Camp Half-Blood. Well, _if _they ever get them into Camp Half-Blood." Pollux turned a short turn to the next street, dodging across a couple.

"Woah!" Connie barked, "Slow down! What are we supposed to do, then?" He stopped suddenly, making her bump into him.

"Connie, I don't know," he admitted, "I really don't know." He looked lost, she realized. He was trying to hide the anxiety that ridden him, but there was no way to hide it from her – it was written right across his face.

"Okay, let's make a plan then," she said, pausing against a brick wall, "We need to find a home. Maybe a homeless shelter? Because I'm sorry, but my home isn't an option." He shook his head immediately, running his hand through his blonde curls.

"No, no, no," he snapped, waving dismissively at her, "Homeless shelters won't work. Those things reek with monsters." She threw her hands in the air.

"Well, I mean, we can just sleep on the street for the night. I'm sure we can just find some pillows. The outdoors won't kill us, right?" Though it sounded absurd, it was no worse than sleeping in the middle of the forest in her opinion. She waited for his reply, for a moment feeling pretty good about her idea, but his eyes were askew.

"What do you think?" She asked, waving her hand in front of his wave, "Woo-hoo, earth to Pollux, you listening?" But he didn't look away.

"Nico," he breathed. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I know he's an issue," she mumbled, "But I mean, he's probably roaming somewhere a million miles away. Theres no point dealin-"

"No!" he half-shouted, his eyes glaring sharper at a distance, "Nico. He's right there! He sees us. Let's go." She didn't have time to see him. Within a heartbeat, Pollux was pulling her across a maze of people. He pulled her through a crowd, knocking over men in suits and newspaper boys. Her eyes tried falling behind her, because she truthfully thought he was going nuts. Nico? She didn't see Nico.

He pulled her into a tiny alley, skipping pipes and mysterious bags. His eyes looked anxious, actually worried, but she didn't feel it. She didn't have any reason to be worried.

"Hurry up!" He barked at her, his hand gripping her tightly. Her legs were starting to burn as they ran farther into the alley, past ragged neighborhoods, away from stray dogs, farther and farther away from society. Right when the burning bomb exploded in her lungs, a brick wall appeared in front of him. Pollux's grape-colored eyes dilated. They were stuck, she realized, they were stuck. But then his eyes caught something.

"The fire escape," he whispered to himself. He yanked sharply, eyeing the rusty handrail.

"We aren't actually going to climb that, are we?" She whimpered, eyeing the height of the long ladder. He gave out a sick laugh, shaking his head, before jumping onto the ladder and climbing.

"Pollux!" She hissed, anger rising. She glanced around her, her fingers balling, but before she knew it she was jumping up on the nasty ladder, following. She saw him hop up on different ladders, and she struggled to catch up. As they jumped across porches, she started to see the city appear around them.

"This is nuts! He isn't here!" But just as she said it, she looked down at the ground. Two blocks away, above the mix of people filling the streets, in the window of a raggedy, abandoned building, she saw him. He was staring ghostly through the broken glass window. His hair was tangled, his shirt was torn, and even though she couldn't see his face she knew he had a maddening expression on her face. Her breath shook.

"COME ON!" Pollux roared. He shifted down to the nearest porch, grabbed her hand and started to pull her up and around again, dizzying her. She constantly turned back, trying to look at the abandoned building, but he disappeared.

"Wait," she squeeked, her heartbeat drumming as they suddenly rose to the very top, "Pollux, he's gone. Pollux, he's-" Pollux stepped up on roof and froze. She scrambled up, but right as her feet found the tiled roof, he grabbed her wrist.

About sixty feet away, on the exact opposite side, Nico stood. He didn't look upset, or impatient, or mad. He stared at them casually, with both hands stuck in his sweatpants pockets, as if this was supposed to be peaceful encounter.

"For the loves of the Gods!" Pollux spat loudly, throwing his other hand in the air, "How does this always happen to us? Why do you always run into us? Why can't you leave us alone? I swear to the Olympians, we can't go streets without you catching up with us! When will you get the hint that we just don't want to see you?!" His last sentence echoed back at him, as if Nico's silence said enough.

"To be fair, half the time you were trying to find me," Nico said, his eyebrows rising. Pollux scuffed.

"Well, it's getting kinda old, don't you think?" Pollux hissed. Nico looked at him for a small moment, and then redirected his attention to Connie.

"Hey," he said flatly. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Hey," she repeated. Pollux rolled his eyes.

"What do you need Nico?" Pollux sighed. Nico shrugged.

"I have a dilemma," he declared, "Percy Jackson is gone." He said it out loud as if they hadn't already known.

"Yeah, I know," Pollux said, "We both know. You're a tad late." Nico started to walk over slowly, Connie's eyes watching each step closely.

"Percy Jackson is my friend." Did she hear a tremble in his voice? "I would go to find him in Tartarus but…" His voice trailed. When she looked into his eyes again, they seemed lost. A guilty burn spurred in her stomach. His only friend was gone?

"Sorry," Pollux didn't sound so sorry, "But what does that have to do with me?" His eyes regained a sparkle.

"Camp Half-Blood is closed," Nico informed them, "And because of that, the Lord of the Dead invites you to his home." There was something in his voice she never heard before. As if it pained him to say those words. His eyes fell to the tiles again, making him look like he had lived a thousand lifetimes. She sucked in a breath.

"The…Lord of the…_Are we talking about the same person_?" Pollux erupted into a fit of laughter. "Hades would never _invite_ somebody inside his palace. Hades is more like a guy to trap a girl and curse her for life. Not a tea party guy, if you know what I mean." Nico was silent for a moment, finally making it about five feet in front of them. His jaw tensed.

"Do you think I want to invite you there?" he asked coolly. "You think I want you in my home?" Pollux's nose flared.

"Me?" he said stiffly, "No. But her? Of course." Nico's eyes flickered at her in disgust. As she delved into his eyes of hatred, realizing how betrayed he must feel, her stomach lurched.

"Trust me, I do not want her in my palace," Nico spat, "But Lord Hades demands her prescense, and it's my job to bring her there."

"My life is a choice," She was surprised to hear it come out of her mouth, "Don't act like you can force me." His eyes flashed at her, as if a million things were running inside his head.

"Andromeda lives inside you," he mumbled hollowly, "He will find a way to get you there, whether you want to be there or not." She exhaled a cold laugh.

"I was there, Nico," Her voice rose, "Don't try deluding me. He doesn't believe in Andromeda, just like me." But as she said it, she remembered the prophecy on the wall. _Three Thousand Years Waited_/_She wakes again in depth_/_Three Lives She Tried_/_Only one she kept_/_Young and Small_/_It's Her Choice to Be_/_If She Cannot Move Heaven_/_Hell it Shall Be"__. _

_ "He'll just hunt you down," Nico huffed, shrugging, "You can either come with me or somebody will find you. And force you." Pollux stepped forward. _

_ "Is that a threat?" he hissed through his teeth. Nico didn't blink._

_ "Fact," he corrected. Connie locked eyes with him for a moment and realized that her business wasn't done yet with him. If she didn't fix this now, he would never leave her alone. Anywho, where else was she going to sleep tonight? She needed to find herself, and for some reason she had a feeling that maybe if she followed along with this crap then maybe she would. _

_ "Fine," she said snappily, ignoring Pollux's objections, "Take me. But let's make this quick."_

_(three dashes)_

_YAYAYAYAYAYAY SOMEBODY READ THIS! (well a couple somebodys :P) Thank you. I wrote another chapter. We'll see if I get another review…._


	26. The Darkest Corner

"I'm pregnant." The words came out of her mouth in the middle of a park. She didn't lower her voice. She didn't say it cautiously. She didn't say it in private, like a lady should have. Which is why the first thing Hades thought when she said this, was that every bystander who was immediately shot her a dark look for saying that in public would definitely go to Tartarus. But then her words echoed into his head, seizing his ideas of torture, and his mouth opened.

"What?" he gruffed. She pulled out her dark-red lipstick casually, taking her time to press it on as Hades debated his next words. When she looked back at him, she showed no sign of fear.

"I am dated to have a baby, my Lord," she repeated, "Your baby." He didn't speak. Instead, he redirected his eye contact down toward his shoes. _Oh god, _he thought to himself, _what have I done? _He looked back up at her, flushed. She puckered her lips, shaping her lipstick more formally, but after a long silence she finally looked at him. Her dark brown eyes, which tinted a brownish-red when the sunshine hit them, softened.

"You can't be possibly surprised, Hades," she said, her patience wavering, "We have been lovers for a while. It was going to happen sometime." His mouth opened, but it wasn't the first time that she made him speechless. He could tell by the look in her eyes that his silence was slowly irritating her.

"If this about your wif-"

"This isn't about Persephone!" he snapped defensively, "This about you, my dove. You do not deserve this! You deserve to be happy! Free, as you like to say." Her eyes softened, like a wave of relief clouded over the worries he hadn't seen before.

"I would be honored to have your child, my Lord. As much as you think otherwise, I believe having a child is a gift. And you'll be a wonderful father, I know," she said, stroking his cheek. He looked like he was going to throw up.

"Maria, you don't understand. If we have a child I cannot see you anymore. It will cause havoc," he swore to her. She rolled her large eyes.

"Hades, you are more of a man then to leave me because of a child," she said sharply. He straightened up, towering over her.

"Maria, I can't stay with you at all. I have a life in the Underworld. Now that the gods will know I have a child, it'll be much harder to see you. I cannot be the father you want," he croaked. She had never witnessed so much sadness in him. She clasped her hand on top of his.

"I am not worried, my lord. I understand that you cannot live with me, and I am fine with that. I am an independent woman. I do not need a god to take care of me," she swore to him, smiling sweetly, "But I know that you will be a perfect father, whether you live with us or not." And as Maria opened up her pocket book again, searching for her compact mirror, the Lord of the Dead gave her a grave look. Because he loved her more than he had ever loved any woman, and wasn't sure if he would ever be strong enough to let Maria di Angelo go.

**(imagine three dashes)**

"Connie, for god's sakes, hold my hand!" Pollux screeched behind her. Beneath the darkness, Connie smirked.

"Afraid of the dark, Pollux?" She mocked. He scuffed.

"As soon as I get my sword back, I'm turning around!" He swore to her. She rolled her eyes. Carefully, she stepped one stair at a time. It was pitch black– the darkest dark she had ever witnessed. At first when she stepped into what Nico called 'the easiest way into the underworld' she thought she was going to die. There were no railings, no way to feel where she was going, and with every step she heard a more terrifying sound. But somehow, within the next thirty minutes, she grew used to it.

"I mean, honestly, I don't understand why _he _gets his sword, but I don't!" Pollux ranted loudly, "CONNIE! HOLD MY HAND!" She sighed, slowing down her pace. Pollux bumped into her roughly, nearly making her go off the edge, but slowly she found a way to wrap her fingers around his.

"Good?" she asked harshly. He huffed.

"No," he spat, "I think this is a moronic idea Connie!"

"Then go back."

"No!" He bellowed so loudly that his voice echoed back, "Where is our wonderful guide anyways? Because I swear, if he lost my sword-"

"I'm glad your priorities are in order Pollux," Nico drawled. He seemed much farther down then them, yet she could still hear him perfectly.

"I want my sword!" Pollux whined. Nico groaned.

"Look," he said tightly, "I can't let you bring it into the Underworld. My father will throw a fit." She could nearly feel Pollux's anger.

"So? Why should I care about your father?" He continued, "I don't even want to be here." Nico fell into silence again, leaving Connie, once again, alone with the argument.

"It's okay Pollux," she soothed, "Think about it this way: If we survive this, we may make history."

"Percy Jackson did it, so no, we won't make history."

"Well, Percy Jackson isn't me, so I could care less if he makes history," she snapped. She knew Pollux was about to say something, but then a light started to fall in front of them.

"Watch out," Nico said dryly, "It's not the most beautiful sight."

**(imagine three dashes)**

Nico wasn't exaggerating. If anything, he didn't prepare her at all. Seeing the dead in torture didn't exactly lighten the mood. Even Pollux was in silence as Nico leaded them toward the castle. As the screams beckoned around them, she tried not to think of the prophecy. Of her burning down the Underworld. She wondered, as she stared at Nico, if he was thinking the same thing.

Connie wasn't able to digest the sight of the castle until they were right in front of it. Her mouth opened a bit, realizing that she had never seen anything like it. He managed to budge them into the castle, with no questioning. As she trailed in, her thoughts remained the same: It was like an inverse version of a beautiful mansion. It was still beautiful, but in the sickest way. It was more of a gothic nightmare to the extreme, she added to herself. Other then the fact that the place reeked in creepy-crawlers, the interior was, at the very least, original. The place glittered with black and bronze, with beautifully crafted chandeliers of glowing bones and walls made from cremated heroes-gone-wrong. Nico looked back at her occasionally, as she gasped. Different things amazed her; the beautiful garden that they could see from the East Hall, the occasional twirling steps that went up to a mysterious tower, the whole idea that Hades' palace was Heaven dressed in Hell.

For some odd reason, she didn't see this the last time she came here. How could she have noticed the beautifully crafted hallways? The extraordinary candles that lit the walls? The overall theme that must've taken centuries to create? She wanted to be sickened by all the gruesome ways that Hades created this place, but she could only admire it. It was so creative, so unique, so different.

"My father wants to meet you in the dining hall," Nico said finally, after an hour of silence. He turned around, looking at her harshly. She realized that he wasn't just telling her, but waiting for her objection.

"Only if Pollux comes with me," she said simply. Nico's eyes grew darker, but he gave her a curtly nod and continued to lead the way. From the corner of her eye, she saw Pollux stare at her in amazement. As if he was finally seeing that she had nerve.

Nico stopped at a huge set of black doors. It was at least sixteen feet tall and nearly ten feet wide. Who would need something so big? She wondered to herself. She could see within the black stone, the terrible pictures of torture that Hades had engraved in it. She swallowed thickly, and tugged on Pollux's hand one last time. Nico flickered at her annoyingly. Was that an anxiousness reflecting in his eyes? But it didn't matter, because he turned too quickly for her to analyze it. Taking one last breath, he opened the doors.

**(insert dashes here)**

She didn't remember being scooted toward her seat. She didn't remember the flickering looks Nico gave her when she found her seat. She didn't remember walking in or her first sight. All she knew was that she was dazzled.

It wasn't like the rest of the castle. Unlike the gothic interior everywhere else, the dining hall created a beautiful angelic setting. Clear crystal silver ware was displayed in front of her – an arrangement of forks and spoons and knives, all ready for her to grip and run. Above her a large chandelier swung, made from a crystal blue stone and an arrangement of light gems. Her eyes lingered on it until she heard coolly, "Should I say welcome to my palace or would that be too nice?"

Her eyes shot up to the big man in front of her, and immediately all the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. At first, she thought he looked the same from the last time she saw him – same medieval robe, same black firing eyes, and the same radiance of horror. But she did think something was different about him.

"Uh," she hesitated at first, eyeing Pollux desperately, "Hi." She knew it was the wrong thing to say, as the Lord of the Dead looked unimpressed. There was a long silence as she tried to redirect her eye contact to the ceiling, and the Lord of the Dead didn't stop his weird look, but then Pollux cleared his throat.

"No offense, uh, Lord Hades," He failed to hide the hatred in his voice, "But why are we here?" She looked back at Hades, whose eyes had softened, or at least, as much as they could soften. More like the fires had tamed.

"Are you not appreciative that I am allowing you to stay here? After your camp is in turmoil and you children were denied by your own peers?" Hades shot back at him coolly. Pollux's eyes grew.

"I am allowing you to stay in my home, and you are questioning my actions! I could've stricken you down! You should thanking me on your knees! You are lucky I didn't kill you the first time I let you down here, Son of Dion-"

"Why?" The question fell out of Connie's mouth. She didn't mean to say it – It was a pure accident. Hades glared at her, which was much worse than any glare, but she didn't cower. She maintained eye contact bravely.

"You told Ni—your son," she stuttered, unsure if first-name basis was okay anymore, "I was not Andromeda and that I deserved to die. That I was a, uh, 'stupid mortal'. And that I, in a nutshell, would never amount to everything," Connie heard herself continue, "Why…my Lord?" At first he was silent. He watched her closely, twisting a piece of his hair around his long, thin fingers.

"You are very interesting, Constance Margaret Jennings. What is your background? Indulge me." At first, she was silent. But then she opened her mouth, and everything fell out.

"I'm from New York City. I guess you could say my dad is a, ah, entrepreneur. And my mother a retired model," she simplified. He nodded, almost to himself.

"And you met my pitiful son, how?" She looked at Nico briefly, who refused to meet her eyes. She could've said her story in a million ways. She met him in a tree, she got to know him in a park, he met her in a world she didn't understand.

But instead she said, "He saved my life." At first, the Lord of the Dead blinked at her, but then he bursted in a long echo of cold laughter. The laughter was hard against her ears, as it had felt like nails on chalkboard.

"Interesting…Interesting," he said after a long bellow, "But we must eat." At that exact moment, plates appeared on the table. Connie's eyes watched in silence as different types of food appeared; mashed potatoes, roasted chicken, pot roast, pizza, all different deliciousness. At first, she didn't touch anything, but then she saw that devilish look in his eyes, as if to say _you better take something, _ and started to fill her plate with everything around her. Cautiously, Pollux followed.

As she nibbled on her food, she watched Hades. He was on his own throne, made from black, degraded bone. Sitting next to him was another throne, but smaller and more fragile. It radiated a white glow. It had a sweet serendipity to it, though it also had dark intentions.

"Lord Hades," she said, "May I ask a question?" He rolled his eyes, wavering his hand at her.

"Where is Persephone?" He stopped eating. For a small second, she regretted saying it. Where did that even come from? She wondered. She had no interest in Persephone.

"It is spring," He answered coolly, "Haven't you heard the story?" She nodded.

"Yeah," she said, "But it's snowing in New York." He rolled his eyes.

"And Georgia? Alabama? Texas? Do you think it's snowing there? No!" He snapped, "Spring starts in different times in different places, mortal." She nodded, accepting the answer.

"It must be wonderful," she said aloud, as she picked at her sweet potato casserole, "To be free. To be able to leave and travel the world, and yet have a home at the same time."

"Yes, well," he started, "She isn't the only one who had managed to leave my manor." He said this casually, but she saw the flicker of suspicion in his eyes. She had completely forgotten about that, she thought stupidly, is that why she was invited back? Because he was curious how she escaped his wrath? At first she was silent, biting her lip gingerly.

"Freedom isn't something you get easily," she said finally, "And believe me my Lord, I refuse to not be free." He stopped eating, giving her not a cold look but almost a look of reminiscence.

"You aren't the first person to tell me that," he said, as if to himself. She swallowed. An unusually curiosity drove through her.

"If you don't mind me asking, who?" Eerie silence followed for a brief moment, as if she went too far. Her eyes shot toward Pollux, who also stared around in silence. Her eyes looked back at Hades, noticing the hardness in his face.

"Doesn't matter," he said sharply, but by the look in Nico's eyes, it did very much matter.

"People always say that," she said, though she didn't intend on speaking. He leaned back in his chair.

"I'm not a pity mortal," he snarled dramatically, "I am a god."  
"And I am a woman! I can see when people mean differently, my Lord," She bursted, as if she looked down upon him, though she didn't mean to say it like that. She was merely suggesting that maybe he was wrong. But accusing him? Accusing a god? It was an accident. Her hand flew to her mouth. His eyes flared back at her with black flames.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"You believe I care? My precious brothers banished me to the darkest corners of the earth, and you think people deserve my pity, you stupid insolent girl? I don't, I swear to you. The only person I yearn for happiness is for me." Her eyes flew to his also-bitter son, who seemed suddenly interested in his food. Slowly, she looked back at the god.

"Bullshit." The words slipped through her mouth like water. Pollux dropped his fork and Nico dug his head in his palms hopelessly. But she held the god's gaze and spoke once again, even though she had no idea where her voice was coming from.

"You do not blame your brothers for your unhappiness. Family is family, you already have accepted that family is too screwed up to get the best of you. But you crave something. Is it freedom? Is it love? Are you haunted from your mistakes?" Her voice projected against the bronze walls that enclosed the dining hall.

"People love you, yet you fear that you'll let them down," she revealed, "And even though you tell yourself that it's too late to show remorse, they still hang around. They forever wait for you to realize that you're not alone. That you appreciate them deep down. That you don't hate anybody. You're thousands of years old, and yet you still insist on blinding yourself. You disgust me."

Hades erupted from his chair violently.

"Nico," he hissed, "I think it's time to show your _friends _where they are staying." Her mouth opened, a nervous pile of excuses rising into her mouth, but Nico was already getting up and Pollux put his silverware down. She watched as they rounded the table, stepping near the jumbo doors.

"Come," Nico said. A part of her wanted to say no, wanted to defy. But the stronger part of her, the dominant part, knew that it was a lost cause. She gave one last look at Hades – sinking into his eyes, trying to understand him. Because there was something about him that reminded her of Nico. A part of him that she would never understand.

Slowly, she backed away, glancing at Pollux. But when she glanced back, he was being held by two skeletons. She sucked in a breath, stepping near, but Hades' voice stopped her.

"Nico will come back for him," Hades' voice drawled. She glared at nobody in particular. She wasn't surprised by that either – She had insulted Hades to the bone. Before turning toward the door and following Nico out, she nodded toward Pollux. There was no reason to say goodbye, she thought to herself, they were a team. No matter where she went, nobody would keep them apart.

"Fine," she spat at him angrily. Nico didn't look at her until she followed him out and the doors fell together with a bang.

"What?" she snapped at him angrily, "Are you not talking to me either?" He balled his fingers.

"Come," he repeated. He walked in front of her, leading her up a long twirling set of stairs. Anger built in her as she watched him, a guy she once respected, take her away from her best friend. It wasn't that she was truly away from Pollux that angered her – it was everything. The look Hades had set upon her, the way Nico despised her. She no longer felt welcome in this drastically beautiful place that he suddenly called 'home'.

"Where are we even going?" she asked, "Don't I deserve to know?" He didn't turn around to look at her, but yet continued to his fast pace.

"Somewhere you can stay for a while," he muttered. Her eyebrows raised.

"Is it a cellar? Jail?" She asked mockingly, "Because I'm sure Hades would like that." He stopped suddenly as he turned a corner toward a hallway.

"Don't speak of my father," he hissed, then continued his fast pace. She trotted behind him quickly.

"Don't speak of your father? Excuse me, did you see that? He completely chewed me out just because I asked a question!" she bursted loudly, "Don't tell me that I don't deserve to be angry about that!" He didn't answer this time, but continued to pace.

"And you! You're being a nasty little thing too! You won't even look at me without giving me a look of hatred," she spat, throwing her hands in the air, "I thought we understood each other. But it seems every time I talk to you, every time I even look at you, you act as if we were never friends." The word 'friends' ached at the end of her sentence, but she knew it was the only thing she could get his attention. And yet, even then, she failed.

"I'm not going to tell you I'm sorry!" she continued, her voice dying slowly, "You know I won't. I'm too proud to do that, Nico. So why won't you look at me? You've never gone this far." He finally stopped at a door. She was actually slightly surprised that it wasn't a jail cell or a cellar or any other way to trap her in there. Instead, it was an old wooden door with a broken knob that, she guessed, wasn't that dangerous at all.

He opened the door for her, refusing to connect eyes with her as he did so. She looked at him for a long moment before stepping into the room. His eyes looked like firey waves of betrayal, with his body pulled tightly together and his lips held together tight. She was done with him, she decided, she was done trying to make him feel better about himself. But when she walked in, she didn't close the door. She watched as he stepped away, toward the hallway, and didn't close the door until his shadow was gone.

**(insert three dashes here)**

It was beautiful room, she had to admit. Even though it wasn't spoiled with fancy colors or jeweled, it had a beautiful elegance to it. Everything was a dim cherry brook – the hardwood floors, the bed frame, an antique dresser in the back. Even the closet doors matched the ideal color. She liked it, she decided quickly. It was quaint. Acceptable yet not overwhelming at the same time.

She drew herself to the nearest door inside the room, opening it. Her eyes widened as she absorbed the surprise in front of her.

It was clothes. Not just salvage clothes either – nice, vintage dresses and flirty shirts and designer pants. They weren't new age or anything, but they were still flattering. Her hands ran through them, slowly picking them up one at a time. They were much too curvy for her bony body. They were made for decently-breasted woman, with a sharp hipbone, yet the stomach was made for somebody severely thin. She wondered how beautiful a woman would have to be to wear them. She tried to imagine all the models that she has met through the years, but not even they would ever fit into these ideal clothes perfectly. She could work it though, she thought to herself, maybe if she picked some that didn't have v-necks and were meant to be loose.

She decided on a loose gown to satisfy the night. She flipped it on easily, surprised how comfortable it made her. She liked it, she decided as she stared in the mirror. Obviously it wasn't something to go on a date in, but it was probably the best clothes she had worn in weeks.

She thought of going to the bathroom and clean up, but a part of her didn't want to leave and find it. She was sure there was one right outside her door, but who would be out there? Skeletons? Hades? Fear filled her. She was brave, but she wasn't stupid. So she slipped into her bed, and stared at the ceiling for a while. It was comfy, but it wasn't hers. It was a duchess' or a maiden. Not for a girl who wasn't welcomed.

Her eyes were growing heavy, her brain leaving, when she heard a creek. Suddenly, she sat up in her bed, breathing heavily. No, a part of her said, nobody is out there. Nobody will come in. It was her imagination. She was paranoid, she told herself, she spent too much time with the Lord of the Dead.

But then she heard another creek echo. She gripped her sheets deathly. _Nobody will come in. _

_ Creek. _She jumped out of her bed so quickly the soles of her feet bruised and slowly approached the door. She heard the creeks echo louder and louder and by the time she knew the person was at the door, she was near the knob. Her fingers shaking, she was about to turn the knob but then _BOOM_! The door flew open, and she jumped away from it quickly, her breasts heaving. But then she saw the shadow flicker across her bedroom, and her eyes rose.

_It was just Nico. _

But there was no such thing as "just Nico" anymore. Nico was maddening. He carried hatred and denial and grudges that would, if he didn't take control, possibly take the best of him. She didn't know what to expect of him anymore, whether she should fear him or pity him or at least be wary of him. Because he was looking at her with black eyes – black like the tunnel they had walked through only a few hours ago – and more than ever she saw how he looked like his father. The milky skin, the bones easily seen, the uncontrollable hair, even the facial expressions he makes. Just like his father, she thought to herself again, he was just like his father.

She wanted to speak, but then he walked straight into her room. Her eyes scanned him for a split second – two, maybe three, hours made much change in him. His hair was ruffled, his undershirt looked twice as dirty, black shadows hovered under his eyes. Maybe she hadn't seen it before, maybe she had been distracted, but something was flickering across his face. Her heel stepped back a bit, fear zipping through her, but then he embraced her.

Embracing her was an understatement. One moment she was staring at him with hollow eyes, and the next he was kissing her. Or, at least, she thought he was kissing her. It happened so rapidly, she didn't even know what was going on. The moment his lips met with hers, he shoved her against the wall and smothered her. His knees locked on top of hers, her entire body touching his unwillingly. He persisted to kiss her, but she was motionless. His mouth, rough and impatient, bit open her lips, forcing himself in. She tried moving him away, but his body pushed her back. It didn't feel like passion, she thought to herself, it felt like a quest. He was seeking something that she did not know. Her hand pressed against his chest, every inch of her body wanting him to stop, but the minute she touched him he jammed her wrist against the wall behind her. Pain shot through her arm, as his lips continued. He didn't care that she wasn't kissing back, he just cared about kissing her. Her mind raced. She was getting pulled into it. She was fighting his pattern, but suddenly she found herself following it. Slowly, her lips started to form against his too. He was no longer kissing alone.

Something twitched on his lips when he felt her kiss back. His hand that was holding her wrist to the wall slackened, digging his hand to her hip painfully. Her other hand wrapped around his neck, forgetting about his hatred. Forgetting about dinner and the last two days. Forgetting about weeks of regret. She felt his hatred on his lips. She felt his anger hit her violently, but she didn't care. Her fingers elevated to his hair, tangling it recklessly. His fingers slid up her body slowly. He knew what he wanted, and he wasn't going to stop himself from indulging. He wasn't going to stop himself from something he believed wholly and completely his, no matter the cost. He touched her as if he was the painter, and she was his art. She pulled him to her, even though there was really no way he could get closer. As he continued up her body, his other hand went through her hair.

But then he stopped abruptly. He flung himself back against the hardboard floors, and she gasped for air. She forgot how to breathe for a moment, clutching at the wall and looking up at him. But when she looked at him, she noticed his hand clamped to his lips. His body began to tremble, shaking his head. His eyes held disgust. Complete disgust.

She took a step forward, almost concerned.

"Get away from me!" he screeched at her, taking two steps toward the hallway. She threw her hands up to her chest, blushing.

"If—If you get near me, if you approach me," his voice trembled, "I'll kill you. I'll—I'll kill you!" He slammed the door shut and listened until his feet faded away. She still couldn't breathe.

** (imagine-three-dashes)**

She heard air whistle out of her mouth. She saw how her chest was moving up and down lightly. She was perfectly okay. But she still couldn't breathe.

She tried staring at the ceiling for a bit longer, curling up underneath her blanket, but she felt like she was stamped. She couldn't get it out of her head. Him coming in here, kissing her, and then leaving as if she had just done the most cruel thing on the planet.

She wondered what Pollux would say. Where was Pollux, anyways? She thought to herself. She hadn't even thought of him – instead she had been thinking of Nico this entire time. She sighed to herself, guilt flying in her. There was no way to win, was there? She managed to piss off Hades, leave her best friend, practically get raped by the Lord of the Dead's son, and then getting looked at as if she was animal for letting it happen.

She couldn't stay here any longer. She jumped from her bed, her feet walking toward the door. She was barely clothed – just a thin little gown – but she didn't care at this point. She opened the door and walked into the hallway loudly.

Of course, she had no idea where she was going. Literally and mentally. Who was she trying to find? She longed for someone, she just didn't know who. She wondered where Pollux was. Was he near, or would he be far away? Knowing Nico, he had probably leaded him in the most darkest, farther place he could think of. It didn't help that she didn't bother remembering how she got to her room, but she followed her instincts.

She took a chance and journeyed upstairs. She swung herself around a twirling staircase, leading up somewhere. She had to of gone a dozen stories. When it stopped, she turned a left. Her hallway turned into another dead end though, no door to be seen, so she whisked herself to the other one. It grew darker as she walked down, but she didn't care. She couldn't go back now. In the blackness, she could make out a dirtier, old staircase. Spider webs haloed around it, dust piling under her. She wouldn't have followed it if she hadn't seen the spider webs concave together, as if somebody has tore it apart. There were footprints in the dusty floor. She took a shaky breath.

He had to be here. Why anybody would put Pollux in such a dirty, terrible place? She didn't know. But, giving it one last look, she dove in. She yanked the spiderwebs from her view, almost slipping against the rough cement. But when she made it to the top, light glowed.

She expected it to go into a cellar, or a jail, or maybe just a ragged bedroom. But instead she found herself in another halfway. She froze. She should just go back, a voice told her, go back to bed. Rest. But the end of the hallway glowed. She couldn't resist it now. Slowly, cautiously, she tiptoed into the hallway, tempted to call out Pollux's name, but something told her not to. She closed her mouth tightly, and thank god she did, because when she turned the last corner, she saw a room open.

But it wasn't just a room. The door was ajar, and a figure was in the doorway. She stepped silently, sure that he couldn't hear her. It was something she was good at – being invisible.

As she grew closer, she saw it was Nico, once again. But what was he doing in there, all alone? She expected him to be locked in his room. But of course he wasn't.

At a distance, she could see in the room and she couldn't help but be at awe. It was a small room, no bigger than hers in New York, with the walls having a peeling probably-once-beautiful maroon background. Hundreds of candles floated around the room flickered occasionally in the darkness. The room was crammed with tables and chairs and pictures that framed the walls. She could make out old dressers with dusty mirrors balancing on top of them. Gorgeous dresses, varying from different sizes and styles and lengths, all hung lazily around the room as if begging for somebody to finally touch them.

Her feet followed him into the room slowly. She watched him carefully as he slowly touched the trinkets on the first brook table. The first table attracted automatically. It wasn't that large, but it was piled with thousands of treasures that she knew were decades old. Paper – possibly letters – sprawled out carelessly on top of broken frames. Dolls, canisters, jewelry, clothes, and other things hung around the table, whether it was on top of an antique chair or dangling off the wallpaper.

He was at awe too. She could tell as he brought a small bracelet to his face, a gold lace dazzled with dark red stones that dangled into the air, because his body froze. She wondered what he was thinking about. She squinted to try to see who owned these things. It was probably his father's wife, she decided. Only she would carry so much wealthy trinkets. But why were they up here? Hidden, for nobody to see? It didn't seem like her, she thought; his wife seemed like somebody who would want to flaunt her beauties, rather than lock them in a forbidden room. And why would she hide them so far away, so deep inside the castle? Nobody could get through these walls, and even if they did, she was sure that old artifacts would not be what they were looking for. It was like it was hiding here for a reason. The dust that clouded around everywhere, with spider webs that sprawled across the walls, proved that it wasn't opened much. Like whoever was using this room was not just hiding these things from the common people, but from somebody else in this very castle. From somebody who had no interest in going into one of the darker rooms in the castle, somebody who sought no reason to go into a lost closet.

Nico's fingers suddenly let go of the bracelet, making it clink as it fell to the ground. She felt a pain in her stomach as he abandoned the lost gems, accidentally (or was it not accidental?) stepped on it with a crunch. She expected him to continue, to dig deeper into the mysterious room so that she could step in too without him noticing. Until he swerved around rapidly, nailed her to the wall, and pressed a black sword to her throat. She breathed heavily, her eyes wide with surprise. He didn't look surprised. How long had he known she was there? But she noticed how his eyes strained. His lips pressed together in a firm line, as if struggling with himself. For a split second, she felt the sword plunge deeper into her skin, readying for a sharp slit. But then he backed away slowly, sliding the sword back into his sheath.

"Forget it," he said out loud, his voice hollow, "You don't deserve death's presence today." As he turned away, she couldn't help remember his threat.

"I thought you were exaggerating when you threatened me earlier," she said out loud, betrayal swimming through her, "Apparently not." He gave a cold laugh under his breath, shaking his head. He looked at her again a terrifying dark humor playing across his face.

"Why would I ever exaggerate about that?" he asked. She blinked.

"Because my death isn't important enough to be put on your conscious," she murmured. His eyebrows furrowed down a moment, as if he was about to object, but then spun in toward the room again, completely forgetting about her within a second. She blinked at first, unsure what to do, but then slowly followed him in.

"Interesting isn't it?" he said, a bitterness leaking into his tone. "My father has a whole life that he refuses to tell me." She looked down at the table that she had been craving to see. Even though she was expecting it, she still gaped.

It was Maria's of course. She should've known. Beautiful pictures sprawled out under things. Now that she saw the pictures, she seemed so much younger. None of them were with his father, but yet her by herself. Connie picked up a photo that was small enough to stick in a wallet. It was tainted with ugly colors, but that didn't make it any less beautiful. Maria didn't look a day over sixteen. She was beautiful – long black hair falling down her shoulders, with large dark irises. She had bundled together on a train elegantly as if ready to pose for a picture, but instead her eyes were lost outside the window, as if longing to go on the unfamiliar lands– a look that Connie has seen on herself a million times. She wondered who captured it. Was his father there with her? Or was it a photo that he somehow was able to ahold of?

"She doesn't look that old," Connie said out loud, stroking the photo with her thumb, "She was just a kid." Nico was deeper inside the room, but he still heard her.

"She died at the age of twenty-four," he informed her, "She met my father when she was seventeen. But don't be fooled Connie – by that age, in the world she lived in, it was normal for woman to be having children and getting married and living." _Living._It was such a strong word for him to say, but she couldn't help but wonder if Maria was happy with that. If Maria had lived as much as she hoped.

She put the picture down gently, though her fingers itched to keep it. She quickly redirected her attention. She was about to turn and follow Nico to the other things he was lingering to, when a beautiful red dress caught her eye. It was made for somebody who was much curvier then her – with a classical vintage body. It probably only went to the mid-thigh of a woman who was her height, dazzled with white crystals. For some odd reason, she wanted it. A part of her told herself that it was hers. It was made for her. Her fingers trembling, she felt it.

The texture was perfect. A soft silk, but yet having a pattern carved into it.

"It's perfect," she whispered to herself. Within a heartbeat, she felt somebody hover over her. From behind her a white, thin hand touched the dress too. She could feel his breath on her neck.

"It is," he said, as if realizing it for the first time, "I think she favored it." He stood there for a moment, breathing on her, before backing away slowly. She watched him from the corner of her eye trail back to a different table. His slowly fingers whisked through other pictures of a different woman, with long blonde hair and a wide smile. She should've left right then, before it got any more awkward, but then there was one last table – behind everything. She tipped toward it, sliding past Nico as he lost himself within the photos he was holding. It was darker in this corner. There was nothing but paper on the table – letters, print-outs, modern-looking evidence.

She held it to her face, squinting to see it in the dark. At first she just looked at it, but then she digested what was on top of the page. Her eyes twitched when she read it, a heavy breath falling out of her. What was this? She asked herself anxiously. What the hell is this?

"Constance Margaret Jennings," she read aloud numbly, "Nico, what is this?"


	27. Seek and You Shall Find

The beautiful angel floated across the black marble dramatically, her heels clinking with each step she took and her long golden train bellowing four feet away from her. She saw him from a distance – reading a mortal newspaper, as if any of it could ever apply to him. Whether or not Hades heard her, he refused to look up. Her light eyes flashed in anger. How dare he ignore her so? How dare he not turn around and compliment her, as she was the most beautiful woman of them all? She stopped ten feet away from his throne with a huff.

"Hello, Husband," she declared loudly, her hands on her hips. He put down the newspaper he was reading and shot her a dark look.

"Yes, my dear?" he asked tightly, with a bored tone already hanging in his words. Her mouth opened slightly, surprised of Hades' reply. They hadn't spoken in weeks, as he was always either in the mortal world or moping about wanting to be in the mortal world. She at least expected him to try to sound intrigued.

"We have to talk." He raised his eyebrows, as if to tell her to go ahead.

"I know you're cheating on me," her voice echoed. If he was stunned, she didn't know, because his straight face remained flawless. No hint of worry flickered in his eyes.

"Do you deny it?" she asked, her hands unraveling as she grew closer, "Can you say I am wrong?" At first he stared at her, as if contemplating his options, but then a cool smile sprawled across his face.

"How did you know? Was it because I spent no time with you? Because I have no interest in even looking at you?" He mocked her. It was obvious he had something over her – could it truly be because of another woman? She thought not. Because no mortal could best her. He was acting out, she decided. Still, her teeth gritted.

"No," she croaked, "I know because you have neglected your actions as a god. Now, why a god would choose a pity woman over power and greed, I do not know. Especially you, my husband, especially you." He threw his newspaper to the ground, jumping away from his throne. Anger lashed out of him like lava.

"Maria," he said her name as if was gold, "Is not a pity mortal. She is anything but. You can be mad all you want Persephone, but I have a right to love." She exhaled. Was this because he truly loved a mortal? Was there no underlining issue causing the affair after all? She could feel herself slowly breaking as the idea spread through her. She had lived with him for a thousand years, and when had she ever broke her faithfulness? Never.

"And _Marie_?" she asked coolly, "You loved her too, did you not?" Now there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes. But then, just as quickly as the look of surprise came, it went away.

"Marie was a mortal who I favored," he corrected slowly, "I gave her a child as a gift. Because she was lonely. I never had any feelings for her – I felt bad for her. She deserved somebody to love." Her heart ached. And she didn't? She wanted to ask him. She was a goddess, and yet he believed that his own wife should be neglected over a mortal woman he didn't even care for?

"Then why don't you leave me for this Maria woman if she is the one you love?" she spat. "Let her live here, wear my clothes, wait on her hand and foot?" She knew by the look on his face that he had considered it. He was usually quick with his words, but this time he remained silent.

"Oh," she answered for him, "Is it because you are afraid that you will not be faithful to her? You love her, and you do not trust yourself to remain faithful if you marry her." His lips formed into a thin line.

"Tell yourself whatever makes you feel better, my dear," he said, his voice breaking slightly, "I can promise you though that she is a thousand times better than you. So don't try speaking of her, Persephone. You'll never understand."

**(imagine three dashes) **

He knocked it out of her hand so fast that it flew across the room. His other hand gripped her tightly, his eyes wide. She took a shaky breath.

"I shouldn't have let you in here," he said aloud, though as if to himself, "Oh my gods. I shouldn't have… I should've made you…" But his voice trailed off. Even in the dark she could see his eyes get lost within the darkness in horror. Her lips dried.

"Nico, what was that?" she continued, her voice breaking, "Were you following me? Are you keeping like…some sort've archive on me?" But she knew differently. He wasn't the type to keep tabs on her – he was the type to hunt her down like a dog and watch her himself. He continued to mumble to himself though, ignoring her. She wanted to look at the papers again, but he had already turned her away from the table.

"Nico," she said more harshly, "Let go of me!" But his hand was gripping her wrist. She tried yanking away, but her strength was nothing compared to his. It made him look at her though, his black eyes like tumbling holes.

"You didn't see anything," he told her. Her eyebrows shot down.

"What are you talking about?" she spat.

"If my father figures out you saw this place," Nico said through his clenched teeth, "He'll never accept me." Her grimace softened. Was this all it was about? His father figuring out she was in here? But it still didn't make sense to her.

"Nico," she said, "Tell me what this is then." But then he spun her toward the door, making her bang into Maria di Angelo's table and tumble into the hallway.

"No!" he said sharply, closing the door "Forget about it Connie." Her eyes turned into cool slits.

"Forget about it?" she mimicked, "_Forget about it? _Nico, there's papers in there about me! Why are there papers about me?" His eyes turned cold.

"It doesn't matter," he told her again, "Nothing you need to know about." She could tell he wanted her to get out of his way, but she wouldn't move.

"You won't tell me why there's an entire table about me because you're afraid of your father not accepting you?" she asked, betrayal swimming her, "Newsflash Nico: Your father won't accept you not because you are a terrible son, but because you try too freaking hard for his acceptance." She knew she went too far because his hands balled and she could nearly feel the radiation of hatred beam toward her.

"You mess everything up, you know that? I didn't _want _you to follow me, Connie. Actually, I felt like it was a nuisance for some boy-crazy girl to go follow me across the country because she can't handle being alone. And I try helping you, because I feel bad for you, but every time I try being nice to you, you find a way to remind me why mortals are utterly disgusting," He hissed, jabbing his pointer finger at her, "You don't deserve to be in this world. You deserve to be in New York City, where you belong." Her mouth dropped, her voice completely gone. He pulled a key out of his pocket, locking the door, and shot her one last cold look.

"Well, don't wait for me," he said coolly, "I'm not going to apologize for telling the truth." She felt her eyes burn. He couldn't mean that, she thought to herself. What about the look he gave her when he first saw her in the woods? When he brought her back to his godforsaken cave? When he, despite how he did it, spent weeks with her in the house because he didn't want her leaving? And what about only a couple hours ago, when he kissed her? It couldn't possibly be because he was trying to be nice.

But she still felt the hole in her heart when he said it, and before he could say anything more she ran back to her room and didn't come back out until morning.

**(imagine three dashes)**

She wanted to leave. The reason she came here was yes, to get Nico to leave her alone, but also because she was curious. She was curious of the gods, of Hades, of Andromeda, and she felt, deep down, if she came here she would finally figure out what Andromeda meant. And she was almost out of hope of that when she finally got the nerve to get out of her room the next morning. She had walked out of her room much more composed than she expected herself to be – her hair was tied up neatly, straining against her face.

Within the gallons of clothes, she was able to pick out a curvy black cocktail dress, with a v-neck that sloped down just perfectly, and made her look thin yet with hips. And before she left she stared at herself in the mirror. Because she found a decent bathroom on her way back last night, her skin was flawless. The marks of bruises and scrapes managed to fade, and the dust and debris that had picked up within the hours were completely gone. She had even noticed that the acne that once covered her face was suddenly gone. Her skin was whiter than she remembered; a milky white that made her eyes look much darker and her hair look much richer. She looked like an entirely different person. Of course, at home she was clean like this every day, but her mother, being a model, always influenced her to put on makeup, so she would always layer her skin in a light foundation and eye makeup. Even at Nico's house, she put on some sort've makeup, just because she believed it was something a woman was supposed to do. But as she looked at herself – one last time – she realized she was beautiful. She looked older, more confident, like she was someone worth looking at. She was in love with the new bare look she had, but she felt like she needed a mark. No, nothing thick that would take away her natural beauty, but something to make her stand out just a bit more. So she opened the old dresser and took out an ancient tube of dark red lipstick and shaped it on.

She looked like an old antique photo, she thought to herself.

She found her way down the hall, toward the dining hall in hope to get some food, but before she made it in, she heard Hades' voice vibrate against the halls.

"You are persistent, demigod," Hades bellowed, his voice less bitter than it was amused. She was surprised to hear this – she expected for him to still be mad. But he was the god of the underworld, she reminded herself, he being mad was a daily thing.

"I just want to know why you dragged my friend down here," she heard Pollux say. She gripped the wall anxiously. Pollux was in there? She should go in there, she thought to herself, but she was too curious. She had a gut feeling that if she went in there then they would stop talking immediately.

"You do believe in Andromeda," Pollux said softly, "So why don't you kill her?" Her heart skipped a beat as the silence bared. It was like Hades was thinking about what to say, if he should admit, but when he spoke he sounded confident.

"You demigods don't understand," Hades growled, "Life is not black and white. When I kill her it will not be a surprise." Murder once again, she sighed to herself. Pollux was quiet for a moment.

"That's wrong," he declared finally, "She's just a girl."

"Just a girl?" Hades mimicked, bitterness finally falling into his tone, "I had hope for you, son of Dionysus. I thought you were cleverer. But I see now that you're just like my son. Naive and deluded. Life is not black and white. Don't try making it so."

"Forgive me Lord of the Dead, but I must counter that," Pollux muttered, "Your son loves her so much that he thinks that death will save her. I, on the other, am not so easy to give up. I will fight for her life."

"You see more than him, I'll give you that," Hades said with a dark chuckle, "But you can only fight for a girl like that for so long, child. One day, she'll stop letting you protect her and go into the war herself." She knew he was being figurative when he said the word 'war', but the word strung her. So there was an issue going on in the Underworld…

She was stuck on the thought when she heard feet going around the corner. She knew who it must be – Nico. And she didn't feel like running into him. So before she lost the nerve, she strutted into the dining hall proudly. The Lord of the Dead stared at her until she sat down next to Pollux.

"How are you?" she whispered to Pollux quickly, once The Lord of the Dead became distracted with his sausage, "Are you okay? How was last night?" He was silent for a moment.

"It wasn't too bad. Nico gave me a decent place to sleep. He just, well, locked me in for the night so I couldn't go find you," Pollux finally said with a crack. She wasn't surprised to hear that – Nico was selfish. He did what he thought was right, even if it meant everybody going down with him.

"Yeah, well, I have something to say-" But then Nico walked in, greeting his father under his breath. She tried to find his eyes when he found his seat next to his father, but he refused to look at her. Her face hardened.

"Well, you don't welcome your host?" Hades finally chided. She looked at him. His eyes were falling around her, as if distracted, but she didn't delay her response.

"I apologize," though it was obvious she wasn't sorry, "I was just curious how my friend is."

"Your first thought is how your friend is doing? You should be thanking me," Hades said to her, staring at her sharply, "For letting you sleep through the night." At first she wondered if he knew about the room, and that was the reason he brought sparing her up in the conversation. But then when she looked into his eyes he was only saying it to emphasize his greed. For a thank you that he didn't deserve.

"I refuse to thank somebody who did an act just because it was humane," she told him, pursing her lips. Pollux gripped her thigh warningly, but she had already caught Hades' attention.

"What?" He said between his teeth.

"You don't get rewarded for not killing somebody. You shouldn't be killing people anyways," she heard her voice rise. "You shouldn't get praise just for that." His eyes narrowed at her, and she knew he could easily turn her into ashes, but something stopped him.

"You argue with me so openly, mortal," he spat, "Do you not understand that I can kill you any moment?" She considered it.

"If I'm going to be here My Lord, I should be allowed to speak my mind," she answered carefully. He gave up on his sausage and leaned back into his chair like he had during dinner.

"You think you have right to speak your mind?" But she saw it differently than he did, despite him mimicking the same words. She felt like she needed to tell the truth. It would be rude for her, a new belief stirred inside her, if she didn't open her mouth and speak her mind like a real woman. She didn't care about being careless or stupid or naïve. She was going to get what she wanted, whether the Lord of the Dead liked it or not.

"Why am I here?" she said in response. His eyes narrowed.

"I told you yesterday," he growled.

"No, you ignored my question and changed the topic," she said tightly, "And I am asking you why I am here. If that means killing me, do your worst Hades. But I am not the damned on your robe. I refuse to be beckoned." She, yet again, wondered where her voice was coming from. The ideas that were spilling out of her, she didn't even know were going through her head.

"Fine," he said, his lips curling, "You want to know? It's because of Andromeda. That dear soul trapped inside you, such a worthy weapon for me. But now I'm starting to like my stupid son's idea – maybe killing you would be best." Her eyebrows rose. _Lies. _

"I think that's bull," she heard herself say, "Just like you said last night, My Lord. The last time I saw you, you gave nothing about Andromeda. You may have changed your beliefs on it, but I know that's not why I am here. The only reason I was spared the last time I was here was because I threw a glove at you. Explain." He was speechless. His long, grimy fingers dug into the bone of his arm rest. She should've been worried – frightened, even – but she could only be satisfied. Finally, she was getting somewhere.

"What my friend is trying to say," Pollux interrupted quickly, "Is that she is confused why you spared our – er – insignificant lives the first time we were here." But his words meant nothing to the Lord of the Dead. His eyes remained on her, and as he did she saw images of horror in her head. Torture, fire, inhumane actions that she knew he was purposely putting in her head. But somehow it didn't bother her. She was able to pull it away from her mind, continuing her glare.

"She _is_ powerful," Hades said with a whistle, "Never changes, does she?" She didn't know what he was talking about, nor why, but suddenly Nico's attention seemed full span on him.

"If you're talking of Andromeda, fine, maybe I am powerful. Maybe she is inside me and brings power in my body but mark my words Hades – she does not define me. She does not possess me nor control me. I am me. I am Constance Margaret Jennings. _I _decide my fate!" Her last sentence echoed loudly into the dining hall and suddenly she was on her feet, her body reaching over the table to be closer toward Hades. His dark eyes tamed. _Congratulations, my Lord_, she thought to herself, _you are finally aware of my seriousness. _

"You cannot change fate, my dear," Hades told her, a sadness flickering in his eyes, "Your fate is something that cannot be bent." Her eyes lowered on him.

"Yeah, and why is that?" 

"You don't know who you are yet. You'll realize through time that your powers will overcome you. That is the reason you'll end up having an early death; because not only will Andromeda need to be stopped before she truly takes over, but also because there are things in your blood. Things all of the gods could use at their will," Hades' lips curled with each word. Her teeth grinded against each other.

"But is it the blood you want from me, Lord Hades? I can see there is something you want from me," she revealed. She expected a snarky remark, but he merely laughed.

"Not blood. I care nothing for your blood," he said, "But it'll annoy the gods, don't you think? Them knowing I have you?"

"Which is why you wanted me dead?" she asked, "I know, Hades. I know about Jarr and your son and god-knows-who-else you've tried to get to hunt me." Maybe he was surprised that she was being so plain with him. Or, possibly because she had suddenly had no fear that he was talking to her. Or, if it was because she had a new charisma – a new look, a new attitude, a new thrive. But for some reason his eyes were blank – no fire, no anger, no mock, no anything. Just plain blackness. She had never seen that.

"You question me so much," Hades' voice shifted, "You finally realized that I'm the god of deception? I wouldn't tell you the truth anyways." Her eyes looked at him for a long moment, and for a second she didn't feel like herself. She opened her mouth, but when she spoke she had no idea what she had just said.

"_Chi cerca trova."_


End file.
